WAR
by Sherbet Mayhem
Summary: COMPLETE. Tyson gets disgrace in yo face, but not before Max falls over and breaks his arm in a ring of fire/stairs. Feckin hell - there's gonna be trub in the shrub. It's a war fic btw : This summary does not undermine the pain and loss of war. LULZ.
1. Worlds Colide

Sherbet Mayhem: Hey and howdy guys, me again. Just to say that if this story is really cruddy then . . . well, I was gonna say don't blame me, but seeing as I wrote it, then it only makes sense to blame me if it's crap . . . anyhow . . . um, yeah, I've not actually thought of a plot yet. I have no idea what this story is going to be about! Just gonna write and see where it leads me. Lol. Review – and flames will be accepted, as we are getting the central heating fixed and the house is rather chilly! They will keep me toasty warm! I just decided to write something a bit trashy and not as long or vivid as my other stuff – it takes too long! So I hope you enjoy and please, be gentle with the reviews! Also, I may use songs and stuff like that. Please try and be constructive!

Oh, and I don't own Beyblade – or much else, for that matter. Merely a small dovetail saw and a piece of cheese. So helpful . . . mmm, cheese . . . 

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Chapter One: Worlds Collide

"GET DOWN, TYSON!"

Tyson started, the thought taking a moment to register in his mind. Just in time he dropped to the floor, all of his muscles going completely limp as he smacked into the ground and watched the bullet whiz over his head with astonishing speed.

"Damn it, that was too close for comfort," he thought to himself, his grey-blue eyes searching the area for his assailant. He was faced by a multitude of crumbling faded buildings, their stones disintegrating as he watched. Explosions rattled the ground underneath him. Swallowing hard, he stood up, brushing as much rubble off his khaki pants as he had time to.

"This ain't no fashion parade, Tyson! Get over here!"

Hearing the deep, sharp call of his Captain, Tyson glanced to his left, where he could see a small group taking cover in a nearby alleyway. It would take him about twenty seconds to run over there. Risky, yes, but once there he would be completely safe.

His teeth grit in stolid determination, Tyson sprang from the slaughtered garden wall he had been crouching behind and began to run, his feet pounding almost as loudly as his heart did. Right and left he could hear gunshots, could smell the aftermath of destruction, and not too far away, he could hear the tortuous sounds of massive explosions, rocking the earth and destroying all who dared brave the storm – or could not escape it. 

Through bouncing vision, Tyson watched his haven draw closer. Stones flew about his feet as he kicked up the dust of the dead in his trail. His breath ripped in and out in desperate rags as he tore across the desolate city square – all that was left of the busiest square in the city of Tokyo.

_"I'm gonna make it!" _he thought, half smiling as the alleyway came within reach. With a determined cry, he sought within himself for that last burst of energy that would take him to the safety of his companions. 

A shot from the left caught his eye, and his newfound instincts forced him to dive into the ground. Fortunately, the momentum of the dive was enough to land him in the alleyway. Unfortunately, the alley was now under attack. His haven had been invaded in such a short space of time!

Tyson knew he was in a position of vulnerability. He instantly covered his head, as he had been taught, and wormed forwards, still listening intently to all around him. He uncovered his head once a little further into the alley. And found himself facing a boot. He automatically fumbled for his hand pistol, safely tucked into his black belt. Meanwhile, he looked up at whom he had come into contact with.

He found himself looking up at the face of his Captain.

Kai Hiwatari stood tall, gazing to the front of the alleyway with a stern face, almost as if he were mentally preparing himself for the massacre ahead. Only one side would come out of this alive.

Tyson scrambled to his feet, watching Kai as he did so. His Captain was an impressive sight. Predatory in his combat camouflage, Kai had removed his armguards and scarf. The blue slashes he still wore on his face as camouflage, and he had tied a strip of khaki material, an assortment of greens and creams in colour, around his forehead to keep his floppy hair out of his face. There simply hadn't been time to shave every soldier's head, nor aptly train them for battle. Kai, fortunately for Tyson's squadron, had already been trained in war like manoeuvres. He wore his ammunition – a string of small black clips – slung over his shoulder and across his chest loosely, and in his hands he held a lethal black HK machine gun, in the relaxed position for now. At his hips hung two Uzis in their holsters, and Tyson knew that he carried a pistol hidden from view. Occasionally he had seen Kai use a Desert Eagle Revolver, but right now he didn't have his pack on and so had no way to carry it. Tyson was often jealous of all of the impressive artillery that his Captain was allowed to use – but then again, Tyson doubted that he could skilfully handle the weapons Kai used. 

"On your feet, Tyson,"

Tyson sprang up, grabbing his pistol and loading it, ready for the shot.

"What's the plan, Kai?"

Kai paused, just about to move forward, his HK rising slowly into the deadly position. It could fire off in a rapid burst, depending on how many clips were available to it. Kai didn't bother to look at Tyson when he replied:

"Stay alive."

Tyson nodded, sighing.

"That's good with me. Though I think it's a bit vague."

Kai didn't listen to the majority of Tyson's response. Upon seeing that the alleyway was getting a little too crowded for his liking, he sprang forward, each footfall precise and steady, and entered into the mill of enemy soldiers.

Perhaps a brief history lesson is in order. The Blade-Breakers are remembered, correct? That lucky team of Beybladers who had potentially saved the world by defeating an evil organisation called BIOVOLT. However, the story did not end there. Immediately after the arrest of the ringleader, Voltaire, the organisation had gone to its backup plan. 

Attack.

BIOVOLT had immediately launched a massive attack on Japan, the world's most productive country at the time. Bringing down Japan would have an after effect on the rest of the world – slowing trade down to a minimum and making communications difficult – not to mention wreaking havoc in the stock market. Japan had called to her allies to help, of course, but it would take a while for China and Britain to rally their forces. 

It seems impossible that a mere organisation should be able to challenge three giant countries, with phenomenal power and authority. However, every single world leader had underestimated BIOVOLT – originally formed in Russia. It held at least six million members – of whom all were highly trained soldiers, even if a good proportion of them were under the age of eighteen.

Japan had immediately introduced conscription – every male of the age of eighteen and over was forced to join the army (at the time, Japan did not believe in having women fight on the front line. However, many women were conscripted into the forces to work in the air force or the services that did not involve direct combat – for example, computing at headquarters). In spite of this, the army was not big enough to counter the massive, lethal forces that BIOVOLT washed up. The conscription age was quickly lowered to sixteen, and then fourteen. Tyson had felt rather unlucky when the conscription age was lowered one day after his fourteenth birthday.

The war had been raging for six months now. China and Britain were still gathering forces and had not been able to send help yet. Most countries were attempting to keep their noses clean and were avoiding becoming involved in the war. Japan had suffered enormous casualties in the short space of half a year. Almost half of their entire army had been demolished in the first three months! She could not hold her own and very soon Japanese forces had been pushed back, made to retreat into their own land that they were so ferociously trying to protect. 

Eastern Japan had been completely taken over, and was now under the control of BIOVOLT. Slave labour camps – similar to the ghettos of World War Two – had been introduced and thousand of innocent Japanese citizens had been forced to succumb to horrendous treatment there. The Japanese government – having realised that their chances were slim if the capital was taken – had sent their most elite forces to protect Tokyo. 

The majority of these forces had been ripped apart in the first week.

Tyson had no idea how his squadron had survived. Based on the fact that the boys knew each other, Kai, Max, Kenny and Tyson had been placed in the same squadron. Rei, of course, was Chinese, and so would be joining them eventually when the Chinese army was finally trained up. Three days of barely any food had exhausted Tyson's squad, and yet they fought on bravely. They were under siege. 

What was left of the Japanese best had gathered at the city centre square early that morning in the hope of making a last stand against the vicious BIOVOLT forces – and were slowly being brought to their knees. About half of the troops were casualties – the word casualty being defined as military dead, wounded or taken captive.

As Tyson watched the mob of soldiers, unable to even tell who was winning or losing, he felt a wave of depression wash over him. The world had fallen into a deep, dark hole, where slaughter of one's own species was the only way to survive.

_"This is terrible!"_ he thought in anguish – but now was no time to think. He heard the click of a rifle behind him, and winced, expecting to feel his head explode as the bullet shredded through it. 

He opened his eyes again after he heard the blast, and yet felt no pain. Confused, he turned around, to find himself looking into the freckly face of his best friend Max. He had shot the enemy through the chest, and the BIOVOLT soldier lay dead on the floor. Tyson had heard Max's pistol shot, not the enemy's. 

Tyson hated to admit that Max had changed for the worse since the war. Back in the days of innocent Beyblading, Max had been a cheeky, contented lad, his blue eyes bright with youthful naivety. Now his eyes clouded over with rage. War had hardened his heart and made a killer of him. As it had of them all, but Max had become cold, cruel, in the midst of battle. He suffered no qualms about killing, whilst Tyson had to really strive to pull the trigger. Certainly, Max was a happy boy when out of battle, but as soon as he was in the middle of a brawl, he became trigger happy, and it hurt Tyson to see it. It tore him apart inside to see his teammates – who had once been innocent boys – mowing down members of BIOVOLT as if their lives meant nothing to them. 

"Better be careful, Tyson," stated Max in a hard tone, "It isn't safe to daydream here. Get shooting."

Tyson winced at the last remark. How it pained him to hear his friend talk in such a crude, unfeeling manner. Still, he had a point. If Tyson wanted to stay alive – which, as Kai had stated, was the idea – he would have to defend himself if not attack BIOVOLT. He looked over to where the biggest scrabble was. 

The sound of bullets ricocheting suddenly resounded in the air, and Tyson saw a small circle of BIOVOLT soldiers – masked in black combat clothes – fall to the ground, clutching at their shins. Kai stood in the middle, his HK smoking, the chips spattering to the floor with thousands of tiny metal clinks. Kai had let rip with the HK.  That was certainly something Tyson admired about Kai – despite his cold, pitiless front, he tried his best not to kill members of the opposite side. He merely tried to take them down and out by injuring them. It sounds like a rather pathetic mercy to have; yet Tyson agreed that it was better than slaughtering the enemy and losing one's heart.

Kai stepped over the nearest grimacing soldier and let his HK hang from the chord about his neck. It was out of clips. Tyson jogged over to him as the sounds of gunfire started to die down. Kai stood silent, surveying the scene before him. It was a ruin. At least fifty BIOVOLT soldiers lay dead or dying upon the floor. The whole prospect was splattered with scarlet blood. Cries of agony occasionally split the air. 

As Tyson approached, Kai pulled out his Uzis. These were his favourite weapons. Although finding clips for them was often a difficulty, they were the most dangerous of his entire arsenal, with an extremely rapid firing rate. They also allowed Kai to move about a lot more when he was firing – compared to the powerful yet stationary HK. He could not move when using it. He cocked the guns and looked at Tyson.

"You okay?"

Tyson nodded as Max joined him. Max looked strange in army uniform. He looked almost out of his depth – yet as Tyson had found he certainly was well within his deepness. 

"That was awesome, Kai! We took out their whole troop!"

Kai nodded, letting his gloved hands rest at his side, armed with the Uzis. "Yeah, but there'll be more. And we've suffered a lot."

The three boys looked around and searched for a sign of green movement. Unlike the Japanese forces, BIOVOLT would not be contended with leaving survivors. Scattered upon the floor of the square lay the bodies of many Japanese soldiers. They were all undoubtedly dead – BIOVOLT left nobody alive if they had already been shot. It was vicious, this war. Savage. As Tyson had adequately put it one night, "Like something out of a horror movie."

With his sharp eyesight, Kai spotted three Japanese soldiers to the right of the square, squatting behind a wall. He called them over, at the same time as spotting a couple more of their allies. All in all, including Max, Tyson and Kai, eleven members of the sixty strong squad were remaining. That wasn't including Kenny – the lookout. Currently, Kenny was back at the secluded headquarters, a little way east of Tokyo hidden deep in a thick forest, watching them all on his highly advanced computer system. He had certainly upgraded from a simple laptop. He and Dizzi now controlled a fleet of computer systems – their own little network of databases and information. 

One of the surviving soldiers, named Dave, approached Kai, Tyson and Max.

"Success, eh guys?"

Kai raised his eyebrows. "You could call it that."

Max seemed more enthusiastic. "Did you see the way I took down the tall guy? That was so amazing!"

Dave smiled, his brown eyes lighting his handsome features. He was tall, with shaved, almost black hair, and a rather serious face. He was a light-hearted fellow, always up for a joke. He and Tyson got along extremely well. 

"Well, the Chief just radioed me. He keeps telling us to fall back."

"Why didn't he radio me?" Kai asked to no one in particular, puzzled and looking down at his waist where his own radio hung. 

"Oh."

The radio had fallen off in the middle of the battle. Kai grinned, a rare moment when he was on the battlefield. He liked to keep serious most of the time.

"I'll bet Kenny thinks I'm dead or something!"

Dave and Tyson laughed. "He'll be panicking so bad!"

After a moment of quick searching, Kai caught sight of his small, shiny black walkie-talkie radio underneath a small pile of rubble. He picked it up, grinning even more when he heard the frantic voice of Kenny through the speaker.

"Okay, Chief. I'm here. What's new?"

_"RETREAT!!! Get back NOW!!! Fall back to headquarters!"_

Kai sharpened up automatically, hearing the serious panic in Kenny's frantic little shrill. 

"Repeat that, Chief?"

_"Is that you Kai?"_

"Yeah, what's going on?"

"Fall back! There's a huge . . . and I mean HUGE . . . wave of BIOVOLT troops on their way! I'm talking five or six hundred soldiers at the least!"

Kai's eyes widened, stunned. His deep brown pupils glanced around wildly, not focusing, but simply moving in fear as he thought rapidly, trying to make sense of things and figure out a plan. Tyson's heart sank as he listened to Kenny's words. They had gathered around the radio to listen in.

"Did he say six hundred?" asked Max, suddenly looking very afraid. His features had abruptly lost their ferocious bloodlust from earlier.

"Kenny, are you sure?" Tyson spoke into the radio. There was a slight cackle as the reception worsened, and Kenny's reply could not be made out. 

"What? What was that?" said Dave in his deep voice, masked in solemnity and seriousness. 

Kai was not listening to the radio, nor it's crackle of interference. "Guys," he whispered, barely audible, "Listen!"

Suddenly, ignoring the sound of the radio, the boys pricked up their ears and listened to the air. Almost straight away they heard the depressingly close sound of troops marching. 

"They must be two blocks away at the very most," said Tyson hoarsely, his heart suddenly thudding again. 

"We have to move," said Kai, his voice commanding respect. He had the ability to fluctuate the tone of his voice in an instant – from humorous to serious to authorative in a matter of seconds. The soldiers straightened up at their Captain's command. Being sixteen, Kai had been involved in the war slightly longer than the other, younger members of his squadron. His experience had made him stand out to the Ranking Officials and Officers and he had been promoted to Captain just before conscription of fourteen-year-old boys had been introduced.     

_"Take the street to your left!"_ came Kenny's almost shrieking voice. Kenny had always been the type to panic easily. _"They haven't reached it yet!"_

Kai nodded, and the other ten boys agreed. Kenny could see everything that was going on from where he sat, and so it made sense to listen to his commands. He was like a radar system that talked instead of bleeped.

"Dave, you lead. Don't bother scouting. Kenny can look after that for us. Eyes open, boys."

The boys all nodded, their orders clear. Kai and his squadron prided themselves on being able to keep calm in a situation of great peril – well, with the exception of Kenny, that is. They set off in a single file line, weapons at the ready, looking out cautiously for an ambush. The eleven remaining of them – no matter how well trained – were absolutely no match for what was following them. Another worry was that BIOVOLT had extremely advanced technology and would be tracking them too. They would have to move very quickly to escape an all out clash.

As the others moved away, Kai surveyed the scene quickly. He knew he had little time, but it was his duty to look for survivors amongst the wreckage. Beside it being a regulation, Kai would have felt indecent if he had not checked for anyone still alive. He quickly ran amongst the piles of corpses, the smell of blood overpowering. One would think that sights like these would be nauseating, but Kai had become desensitised to violence. It didn't sicken him anymore. This was a common occurrence amongst men of war. 

No matter how desensitised he was, Kai couldn't help a lurch of his heart when he saw one of his friends, Private Kawada, laying on the floor, his eyes open and glazed with death, and a bright red bullet hole in the middle of his forehead, the blood snaking in a trail into one of his eyes. Kai shook his head, and then carried on, knowing that there was not time to mourn, nor time to be distracted. He had a job to do.

He made his way through all of the men lying on the rubble-filled floor. Each man poured crimson. He could see no survivors. 

As he was walking, Kai felt his boot crunch across something hard. He looked down, and to his dismay found that he had stood on somebody's foot. 

"Oh man . . . "

Annoyed that he had managed to stand on a dead man's foot, he sought the face of the owner. He discovered it was another of his friends, Dango, a small, wiry fellow with a head for numbers and a rash decision maker.

"Sorry, Dango," muttered Kai, looking away. He stepped away from the body and began to follow the others, who were fast disappearing through the street Kenny had directed. Only a rasping voice stopped him from continuing.

He turned, surprised, and found that Dango was alive. His eyes were wide open, if not a little dizzy looking. His face was dirty, brownish with mud and dirt from the shattered rocks and rubble he had been lying in. Directly in the centre of Dango's stomach was a tear in the skin, a deep bullet wound, where blood oozed in scarlet globules and clotted out onto the khaki coloured uniform. 

"Dango?" said Kai, taken aback, and he moved to his stricken friend's side. Aware of the immediate danger they were both in, the sounds of the marching growing ever nearer, Kai hoisted his friend so he hung over his shoulder, made him as comfortable as possible, and began to move. It was difficult with another guy on his shoulders, but at least Dango was light. 

Annoyed that he had lost sight of the others, Kai reached to his waist for his radio, tucked in safely at his black belt. However, it was a difficult task, as he was focusing on not dropping Dango and it was a two handed task. He fumbled around at his waist awkwardly, his fingers groping at his radio, but cried out in exasperation as it slipped and landed on the floor with a thud. 

Growling, Kai swung around and bent down, picking up his radio. As he began to stand, he paused, his heart pounding so hard he thought it might rip right out of his chest. A shadow had fallen over him, and, looking forwards, away from the direction he was supposed to be travelling in (as he had turned to pick up the radio), he was faced by the front line of the army of BIOVOLT troops. The leader stood in the middle, about nine metres away, his ferocious appearance enough to make almost anybody quail at the knees. Kai watched as the leader gave an order in Russian, and the entire front line of the troop lifted their guns. 

The guns aimed, and Kai's breath stood still, frozen in his throat. 

Then they fired. 

_The world plays her angered symphony,_

_Lost inside eternal mystery._

_The sky is falling,_

_Voices crying out in desperation,_

_Hear them calling,_

_You can never save yourself._

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Sherbet Mayhem: Ooo, so how did you like it? It took me like an hour and a half to write, so it's not very good at all. If there are like hundreds of mistakes then I apologise. The lyrics were 'Late Great Planet Earth' by Plumb – who rocks!!! And I know the chapter title is absolutely crap. Lol. Well, as they say in Fanfiction land, 'Read and Review!'!!! Be brutal, be brutal . . . oh please don't be brutal, I'd die. Nah, I'm joking. Now click on that little button . . . yes, you know which one I mean . . . it says 'GO' on it! Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on! Or else I'll poo-poo tha lot o' yer! Hardy, hardy, hardy, hardy . . . aye, 'tis about time me catches a whale. Ar. Me be a fisher of the seven seas. And me be as crazy as a harpoon.

REVIEW!!!

And I'll go start the second chapter!

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	2. Desensitisation

Sherbet Mayhem: Oh, so you came back for more, did you? Well that's just great, just great, just frickin' great . . . it is actually. It means you like my story! Woo hoo! Okay, so on with chapter two. Thanks go out to all who reviewed – I owe you a pound each (or, if you don't live in England, then I owe you a dollar – or one of whatever currency your country uses . . . you know, I'm putting this up just as I've put chapter one up . . . my review policy is rendering useless right now . . . and the only person who's reviewed this story is ME!!! Ha, ha! Sad, really, no?). Anyhow, this is chapter two of War. Hope you enjoy it! 

And I've already told you, I only own a dovetail saw and a piece of cheese – but the other day I came into possession of a purple plastic protractor! Yay!

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Chapter Two: Desensitisation 

_"MOVE!!!"_

Kai sprang out of the way of at least a dozen oncoming bullets at the command of his quick thinking mind, and he and Dango avoided being hit narrowly. The Captain spun on his feet with as much agility as he could manage and darted in the other direction, knowing that sometimes it is better to run. He sped around the corner, one hand at his waist, attempting to pull one of his Uzis from its holster. 

As he turned the corner, Kai almost slipped on a piece of loose rock on the floor, causing him to hesitate for a second. The BIOVOLT troops didn't miss a beat, and Kai felt an explosion of pain sweeping the back of his right kneecap. He heard himself cry out, his senses completely reeling, as the hot white flash of pain spread agonisingly up the back of his leg. 

"Damn-it!" he cursed through stiffly gritted teeth as he stumbled, almost collapsing under the sudden pressure of the bullet. He could feel his warm blood leaching nastily, cruelly, down the back of his leg; his life force seeping away in a trail of scarlet. His vision swam before him, as though his whole world had been plunged into the ocean. Sounds dissolved as they reached his ears, and things that had seemed to real just a second ago looked suddenly dreamlike.

Still, Kai managed to stay on his feet. He didn't know how. Some unknown force, some drive for life, kept him on his feet and he continued to run, despite the fact that his knee felt like it were being branded by merciless, raging tongs. Dango was still slung over his shoulder, and he was talking to Kai, but Kai couldn't make out what he was saying. He wasn't sure that was because Dango was making no sense or because his own senses had completely shut down.

Aware enough to see another few bullets whiz past his face, Kai tried to pick up the pace. He began to remember that the street led to a place called Kitayo Park – the square they had just been in was called Kitayo Square. If he were quick enough, he would be able to hide out in the bushes and foliage of the park, which was naturally lush and green. After all, the BIOVOLT troops _were_ eight or nine metres behind him. They probably hadn't even rounded the corner yet. Kai simply continued to struggle through the street – which was more of an alleyway, lined with high backyard walls which were grey, with tiny sprouts of moss and grass extricating through the seams in the brick.

"KAI!!!"

He heard a voice to his right – it seemed to be coming from above him, but he couldn't be sure. Everything was so hazy. His vision danced with macabre spots and sways that made him feel as though he were running upside-down. 

Ignoring the voice, Kai kept on running, wondering how he was going to pull this one off – when a strong hand grasped him about the wrist and dragged him to the right. He had no strength to resist and allowed himself to be yanked to the side. 

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"Anything, Dave?"

Tyson's voice came from behind him, and Dave, positioned at the front of the squad while his Captain checked for survivors, turned a little way around as he ran. 

"There's no one ahead of us, Tyson! We're all clear!"

As he ran, Dave spotted Kitayo Park approaching up ahead. The street they ran down was thin and rather dark. Still, Dave reached for his radio and pressed the communication button on the side.

"Chief, where do we go when we get to the park?"

"You'll have to turn left, Dave. Run down the road left for about three minutes, and then you'll be at a roundabout. Take the opening to the North West, and carry on up that road till you reach headquarters."

"Thanks, Chief," commended Dave, impressed with Kenny's quick direction and order. Still running, Dave reached the park, and the nine soldiers behind him gathered together. 

"Okay, we go left here," explained Dave, half talking to the troop and half speaking out loud while collecting his thoughts "And then we're at a junction. Take the North West road, and we should end up at HQ. Well, you know, almost HQ."

Dave's last comment simply meant that they would reach the opening in the woodland that ran along the side of the road that they would all recognise. All of the squad knew how to reach HQ from there. 

Dave turned to the troop, who were panting but seemed to be holding up well. Glancing back down the street they had just traversed, Dave frowned when he did not see the familiar sight of his Captain.

"Tyson, where's Kai?"

After a quick look back, Tyson shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe we should go back?"

Thinking, Dave tried to make a clear decision. It was difficult when a friend may have been at risk. However, he knew that Max would be able to guide the rest of the squad back to HQ safely. 

"You and I, Tyson. Max, lead on. Eyes open for BIOVOLT. Contact me when you get there."

Max nodded, standing up boldly to the new responsibility being thrust upon him. He was very brave, was Max Tate, and he had blossomed into a mature young man in the few months the war had been on. He gave Dave and Tyson a quick salute before leading the other seven members off to the left. 

"Do you think anything's happened?" asked Tyson, looking up at the taller Dave. Dave shrugged, clearing his throat.

"We'll soon find out."

The two set off, back the way they came down the small side street leading to Kitayo Square. Chills ran down their spines when they heard the frightening sound of boots, slamming into the dusty ground in disturbing unison not too far away. Dave hushed Tyson as he began to talk.

"What?" asked Tyson in a whisper as he was silenced. Dave held a tentative finger to his lips.

"Hold on a second. Listen."

Tyson leaned forwards a little, hoping to catch what had eluded him. There was nothing. No gunfire, no angry voices. It was silent.

"What's wrong with that?" asked Tyson again, puzzled. Dave sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Tyson, do you hear silence?"

Tyson strained to listen again, and then nodded his affirmation. "Yep. You could hear a pin drop!"

"Doesn't it strike you as odd that the marching has stopped?"

Tyson thought about it, and then gasped. "Oh yeah! So . . . what's that mean?"

"It means – "

Dave was cut off as the explosion of bullets leaving their homes cracked the silent air in half. Instinct told Tyson to look for cover – in his brief, incomplete army training, Tyson had learned that effective cover was essential for survival. To his left he spotted an open back door – leading into somebody's back yard. It was small and brown, and seemed to be coming off the hinges. It looked like it could be pushed open. 

"Dave, in here!" hissed Tyson in a hushed yet hurried manner, and he grabbed the taller boy, lugging him into the empty back yard. It was square and grey, with tiny grass stalks splitting the ground in numerous places. Perfect to hide in.

"Think they're coming down this street?" whispered Dave as he pulled the door into an angle that didn't look like it had been ripped almost completely off its hinges. Tyson breathed a sigh of relief as he realised that the BIOVOLT soldiers would have immense difficulty catching a single sight of them if they kept quiet. 

"Maybe," breathed Tyson in response. Dave merely stared at him.

"Who d'you think they were shooting at?"

Tyson frowned, incredibly worried but not wishing to show it. 

"Enough of the questions, Dave. I'm gonna check it out."

Ignoring Dave's quiet protests, Tyson moved to the yard wall, which was some six feet high, and reached up with his gloved hands. He then hauled himself up so he could just peer over the wall without being conspicuous. What he saw disturbed him greatly.

"KAI!!!"

There, down in the narrow street, with another soldier slumped over his shoulder and a gingerbread trail of blood puddles following behind him was his Captain, staggering dizzily along as best as he could. He was obviously wounded, and to what extent Tyson could not see, but he could instantly tell that it was serious. Below him, Kai paused momentarily, and Tyson could practically see his own voice registering in Kai's thoughts; so he was surprised when Kai simply carried on stumbling through the street, plainly trying to hurry. 

Tyson turned back around and saw that Dave was watching him with worried eyes and a panic-stricken face. 

"Tyson?"

Tyson had to search for his own voice. He had never seen one of his former team mates injured before. Well, Max had taken a blow to the head once but it had been bandaged quickly and Tyson had not seen anything of the wound. Seeing Kai, usually strong and impressive, limping along like a dying animal had shaken something deep within Tyson. He _had_ to save Kai, as a Captain and as a friend. 

"Dave, open the door!" he choked wildly, peering back over the wall at the opening of the street, where he expected BIOVOLT troops to pour forth. Below him, in the yard, Dave yanked open the door, echoing Tyson's gasp of surprise. 

Thinking quickly, Dave reached out and grabbed Kai's wrist, which was still at his waist, fumbling weakly for the Uzi. He dragged Kai in with an urgency he had not recognised and hitched the door into its 'closed' position again. It merely looked closed while just standing against the grey wall that surrounded the yard. 

"What happened?" whispered Tyson as he watched for the troops. Suddenly he saw a glimpse of BIOVOLT – appearing at the entrance to the street like the eerie shadow of an eclipse – a giant, black mass of evil that blocked out all the light and cloaked the world in darkness. He fell back off the wall swiftly, hoping that he had not been spotted, and joined Dave on ground level. Kai didn't try to speak. It required too much effort – and he could hardly recognise the boys around him.

"We have to move," whispered Dave hurriedly, "If they catch us here there's no way we could escape."

"But where do we go from here? We're trapped!" hissed Tyson in exasperation, panicking. Dave had a good point, but Tyson could see no way out of their situation. He had planned on holding tight and keeping quiet. 

"I'm thinking we go through there," Dave said quietly, the sounds of BIOVOLT footfalls frighteningly near. He nodded toward the house, the owner of the back yard they huddled in. They must have been in rather a poor area because the houses were of a somewhat low quality. For example, the back door of this particular house had had its glass window shattered by vandals. It was partially boarded up but that too had been vandalised and the boys could fit their arms through the gaps in the wood. Of course, the house would be deserted by now. All of the regular citizens had been evacuated once the Japanese government had learned that a massive attack was being directed at Tokyo. 

Dave lowered Dango from Kai's shoulders and swooped him onto his own broad ones. The moment he did so, Kai swayed on his feet. Luckily Tyson grabbed him and looped one of Kai's arms about his own shoulders. There was no way Tyson would be able to carry Kai as Kai had carried Dango, because Tyson was very short and not too strong physically. However, he could provide an effective support. 

Now that Dango was gone from Kai's shoulders, Tyson got a quick view of the injury at the back of Kai's leg. The bullet had penetrated the kneecap, shattering through the front in its exit. The entrance wound was far less severe than the exit wound, and blood trickled down through the tattered shards of material that hung about Kai's knee, turning a sickening shade of brown as it began to clot amongst the khaki fabric. Kai held the leg slightly above the floor, not putting any pressure upon it, his face ashen and sick looking. 

Tyson watched and waited as Dave slid his lean, muscular arm through one of the holes in the window boarding. Dave fumbled about for a moment before finding the door handle and clicking downwards, smiling as the door slid open. He swung it ajar and then slipped through it, with Dango hanging limply from his shoulders, the injured soldier's floppy black bangs hanging loosely in his barely open eyes. After Dave went through, Tyson followed, becoming more and more restless as the sound of the BIOVOLT evil grew nearer. 

When all four were inside, Dave closed the door extremely quietly, knowing that the enemy would have had sufficient time to reach the back door. They could only move on quietly and hope that they were not discovered. 

Tyson moved forwards, his keen eyes running over everything in the house. They were in the kitchen, so it seemed. There was abandoned food on the table and it seemed that everything had simply been dropped in the resident's hurry to take flight. Tyson sighed; weary that he could not have taken part in that mass exodus. Why was he still here?

"Where now, Dave?" he asked in a tiny whisper, feeling the weight and entirety of the gruesome war and the sights he had witnessed slowly caving in on him. He could not hold up strong forever, and desensitisation had not seemed to work for him. Every drop of blood he saw made him want to retch; every pair of glazed over eyes he caught sight of made his soul cry out in desperation. He could not take much more of this war. One of his best friends clung to his shoulders, life leaking away in a stream of broken down bravery, and yet another companion lay dying right in front of him! Tyson was collapsing under the pressure.  

"Forward," came the hushed answer, "Through the house. It should lead us onto a street that's parallel to this one. It'll lead us directly to the roundabout, and we should be able to make it to HQ safely if we hurry."

Tyson nodded mutely, his senses numb. All he knew how to do was carry on. Even back in the days of mere Beyblading, Tyson had contained some sort of voracious strength that had never given in; had never given up. Now it kicked back into gear, making Tyson feel almost cathartic. It gave him the strength to support another, and he moved forwards once more, inexplicably invigorated. 

Followed by Dave, Tyson exited the kitchen and looked about the small hallway. It was neatly decorated, with small ornaments and trinkets and such hanging from the terracotta walls. Directly in front of him was the front door.  

"Ready, Dave?"

Dave nodded in agreement, and Tyson grabbed the door handle enthusiastically, feeling ready to face the troops. He grinned in mental preparation, but was halted by a weak voice at his ear.

" . . . don't . . . "

Tyson glanced right, halted, surprised that Kai had spoken. He had seemed almost completely out of it. 

"Why not, Kai?"

Kai's dark coffee eyes were watching the floor, dull with lacklustre as he spoke. His voice was barely audible.

"They could . . . be out there . . . check." 

Tyson looked back at Dave, resisting the urge to shrug, and stuck out his bottom lip.

"Okay, Kai, we'll check. Dave, try the living room window."

In obedience, Dave nodded, and moved swiftly through to the front room of the house, staying close to the walls and masked in the shadows of the dark room, just in case, on the off chance, any BIOVOLT trooper glanced him through the netted windows. He reached the panes and carefully peeled aside the edge of one of the white net curtains to look out onto the street. 

"Crap!"

His expletive was a quiet one, but Tyson heard it from his stance in the hallway. The atmosphere tensed as he called out softly to Dave.

"What?"

"They're marching through the street! They're right outside!"

Tyson felt his face pale, almost as if it grew colder. "We almost walked right into them!"

Dave returned to the hall, still carrying a flaccid Dango. "Okay, that was scarily close."

Tyson felt himself nodding, but all in all he was floating in a dream world. Things just didn't seem to be happening. In a situation where life and death rest on either side of a flimsy wooden door, a human can be overwhelmed by the atrociousness of it all. Still, Tyson was up for escape. 

"There's still one thing we can do."

Dave glanced at Tyson in incredulity, but believed when he saw the glint in Tyson's grey-blue eyes. They shone with determination. Automatically, Dave knew what Tyson was planning.

"Are you serious?"

Tyson looked surprised. "Come on, can you think of a situation more desperate than this?"

After thinking for a moment, Dave shook his head. "Nah, but are you sure? You can only do this once."

Tyson nodded vigorously, his floppy grey bangs of hair falling into his eyes. "I'm sure."

What Dave and Tyson had been discussing was one of the most rare and extraordinary things to ever happen. And it all linked back to Beyblading. 

Each of the Blade-Breakers had possessed a power called a Bit-Beast – which was the essence of a creature trapped inside a small plastic chip, which could be called upon to boost the blade's energy levels during a match, not to mention being able to initiate powerful and often incredible attacks on the enemy's blade. Shortly after the World Championships in Moscow, a few days before the war broke out, Max's mother, Mrs Judy Tate, a doctor of Beyblade Science and Technology, had finally discovered a technique in which the essence of the creature in the Bit could be called out in its true, material form, as a living, breathing creature, possessing all the powers of the Bit-Beast but as a true entity. It had only been done in practise, and the Blade-Breaker's Bit-Beasts were the only ones that could perform this incredible feat, as the Blade-Breakers had been the only ones involved in the research. Mr Dickinson, the founder of the Blade-Breakers and the Beyblade Battle Association – the BBA – had funded the project. It had succeeded when all of the four Blade-Breakers had called out their Beasts. Kenny, unfortunately, still could not find a way to free Dizzi from his laptop.

The problem with this technique was that it could only be used twice. If attempted a third time, it was dubious whether the Bit-Beast would survive. None of the Blade-Breakers wanted to risk losing their Bit-Beasts. As Tyson thought, he noticed how strange it was that a tool from a simple sport could be used in one of the most horrendous wars Japan had ever faced. 

Tyson reached into his cargo pocket and pulled out the tiny chip. He had seen no sense in carrying the entire Beyblade around with him. The Bit sparked in the dull overhead luminosity and Tyson smiled. 

"Here we go, Dragoon. I hope I can remember how this works."

As Tyson spoke to the Beast, he also pulled out a small, red plastic chip, the size and shape of a music tape but not as thick and heavy. There was a small, indented circle in the centre and a few yellow buttons down the side. Taking a deep breath, aware that this was the last time he could ever call upon the real Beast, Tyson placed the circular Bit into the indentation. The machine bleeped quietly, and Tyson punched in a code on the yellow buttons. 

Setting the bleeping trinket on the carpeted floor, Tyson backed away, Dave following suit. Then, the two watched in awe as the Bit lit up in a blue phosphorescence. The azure glow grew brighter and brighter, steadily filling the hallway. The BIOVOLT troops outside would have noticed this, but Tyson didn't care. He knew what was coming. 

An incredible roar resounded from nowhere as the blue form of Dragoon began to snake out of the Bit, its beautiful scales twisting in a serpentine fashion as it spiralled upwards, curving a path towards the sky. As it exited the Bit it grew steadily larger, until finally its coils burst through the walls of the hallway into the living room. Still it continued to grow, a phenomenal creature in all its awe and majesty. Its cobalt eyes sparked, iridescent and passionate, the white fangs glinting and the entire body burning with a cold blue flame. Ultimately, the boys found themselves looking at a fifteen metre long Dragoon, who snarled and roared in fury and shook the very foundations of the earth. 

Dave stared up at the magnificent creature. "Cool."

Tyson nodded. "I know. Hey there, Dragoon!"

The dragon's eye caught sight of the miniscule Tyson and the three other boys, and its head bent towards them. Dave couldn't help but wince in a little fear, even though he knew that Tyson controlled his Beast. 

"Dragoon, we need a lift," explained Tyson, "but there are a ton of BIOVOLT soldiers outside. We just need you to take us to the edge of the HQ forest. We can find our own way from there. Is that okay with you, buddy?"

The mighty Dragoon had listened intently to its master's orders, snarling at the mention of the BIOVOLT troops. When Tyson finished, it looked at the other boys, focusing mainly on Kai and Dango. Dango had lost consciousness, and lay still, his eyes closed and his body lifeless upon Dave's shoulders. Kai was still awake and aware, even though he himself was becoming more and more convinced that this must be a dream. He looked up into Dragoon's face without fear but with respect and awe, feeling dizzier and hazier by the second and his eyes gradually beginning to close against his will. The fire in his leg had disappeared and left a cold chill that seemed to be spreading up the length of his body and robbing him of his strength. In a few minutes he knew he wouldn't be able to stand anymore, and was grateful to Tyson for his support.

Dragoon seemed to assess the situation and lowered its head a little farther until the boys would simply be able to step onto its shimmering body, the scales themselves lit with a soft blue haze. Tyson let Dave go first, with the unconscious Dango, and then he and Kai stepped on together. Once they had made their way further down onto its back, Dragoon lurched towards the front door, and, with a resonant, deep roar, it crashed through the front of the house. 

The soldiers marching past immediately screamed and dove out of the way of the mighty dragon, and Dragoon raised its head up high, its clawed legs spread and sparkling as the sun began to set in the distance. With another roar, Dragoon began to walk forwards, each footstep shaking the grounds of Tokyo. The BIOVOLT troops, in their massive numbers, could only watch on in horror as the cerulean Dragoon pounded its way across the street. 

Tyson and Dave watched, smiling at the fear-stricken faces of their enemies. Each one stared at Dragoon as though it were their doom. Dave lay Dango down securely on Dragoon's back, and Kai had also taken a seat. He was still aware enough to know what was going on, and inside he laughed at the fear written on the faces of the BIOVOLT soldiers. 

Still, there were a few enemy troopers who couldn't resist, and they lifted their weapons and aimed. A pelting of bullets showered Dragoon; and promptly reflected off his scaly blue hide. The air was filled with the ringing of bullet release – and followed by the clinging of bullets hitting the floor, useless. 

Angered that his Bit-Beast was a target, Tyson whipped out his pistol, ready to defend the mighty dragon as it defended him. Dave took out his shotgun from the pack he carried on his back, and Kai, though his vision was blurry, finally drew one of his favoured Uzis. As the boys travelled, they picked off the most dangerous looking of the enemy with quite a high accuracy rate. They had learned more in this battle than they had thought.

As Dragoon neared the end of the street and approached Kitayo Park, the boys did not notice a small group of BIOVOLT men huddling together and loading up a stationed Spear Gun – a slim, simple piece of machinery that could fire a multiple batch of sharpened spears at once and at high range. Just before Dragoon turned the corner, the spears let fly and showered over the boys. 

Dragoon, being the biggest target, took the majority of the spears, and even though slightly more annoying than the bullets, the spears simply fell off its leathery skin. The boys were not so well protected. Glinting as they flew down among them, one spear grazed viciously past Dave's right arm, tearing the skin along the elbow and causing Dave to cry out. Kai and Tyson escaped unharmed – but three spears stabbed into the unconscious Dango. His body jerked with the momentum created by the movement of the spears and he slipped off the back of Dragoon and fell to the floor below.

"No, Dango!" yelled Kai as he stumbled to his feet and jumped after the fallen body of his friend. Luckily Tyson caught him about the waist and stopped him from jumping the three metres to the ground. He would have wrecked his other leg too. Still he struggled against Tyson as the BIOVOLT soldiers began to flood toward Dango. 

Kai watched on, still attempting to break free of Tyson's grasp. It was likely that he would die if he went back to help Dango – but Dango was a good companion of his. They had gotten on well, both coming from similar, entirely messed up backgrounds, and Kai didn't want to lose him, not like this. It wasn't fair. His eyes, suddenly bright again with rage, darkened as he watched the enemy soldiers milling around his friend like vultures drawn to a corpse.      

"Get away from him, you cruel bastards!!!"

Dave stared, having never heard Kai swear so profusely before. As they moved further and further away from poor Dango, Dave realised that Dragoon did not know they were missing a passenger.

"Dragoon!" he shouted, his arm still throbbing, "Dragoon, we've lost Dango! Stop!"

The dragon slid to an immediate halt when it heard what had happened, and turned its head to view the scene. Its eyes glinted with fury as it saw the soldiers kicking the blood soaked Dango, taunting his passengers and its master. 

"You sickos! Leave him alone!" 

Kai continued to yell, continued to struggle in desperation against Tyson's grip. Tyson himself watched on through crystal eyes. This was too much for him to bear. Just when they had been about to escape, Dango had been struck down by the evil of BIOVOLT. A diamond glistening tear fell onto his dirty cheek, followed by another, and then another. 

Dragoon roared, incensed that the torturers from BIOVOLT had done this. It turned, so its entire upper half was facing the twisted soldiers who were getting so much fun out of booting an innocent young man to death. With another, even more powerful roar, Dragoon caught their attention, and they looked up just in time to see an eruption of blue flame as it blistered through the air towards them. It was the last thing they saw.

The spiral of raging hot inferno spilling from Dragoon's mouth caught up whoever was in a ten-metre radius, burning them to a crisp. It lit the street in intense cobalt and reflected in all of the windows, making the houses look as though they too were aglow. 

"_NO!!!"_ yelled Kai as the flames engulfed the evil BIOVOLT soldiers who had been kicking Dango to death. Dragoon's retribution had been swift and awe-inspiring – but it had probably caught Dango in its wake. Tyson felt his arms drop in debility.

As Dragoon killed the flames, the three boys watched on in sheer, silent horror. About fifty scorched corpses lay along the floor, each black and rotten, their molten flesh emitting tiny rings of smoke as it congealed. Nearest to them, Tyson could see that the agonised scream of one soldier had been plastered to his face as the fire had overwhelmed him. The skin about his eyes was burnt back, and the liquid of his eyes, the white jelly, had leaked out onto the man's face. His lips were black and pulled back, almost in a snarl, and his teeth looked startlingly white against the black and scarlet background. 

Dango lay still, his back seared and arid, smoking as his clothes had fused with the skin under the intense temperature. The boys couldn't see his face, as it was turned away from them. They didn't want to see it. The only skin they could see was that of one outstretched arm, the fingers stiff and sporadic looking. The once light skin was a disturbing shade of dark brown, mingled with the odd hint of bright red where Dango had bled fresh. The carcass smoked nauseatingly, especially at the hair, and as the three boys watched, the scent of cooked meat began to rise from the burnt out hellhole.

Tyson blinked, the tears that had lain on his cheeks dry now. An incredible heat washed over them all as they looked out over the scene. The surviving members of the BIOVOLT troop turned and ran as he watched. They were safe.

In front of him, Tyson saw Kai fall to his knees. He darted to his Captain's side to prevent him from slipping off the side of Dragoon, and as he locked his arms about Kai he watched the brown eyes flutter shut. The earlier battle, the injury, and now this had been too much for Kai, and he had passed out. Plus he had lost a worrying amount of blood. It had even managed to collect in a small, scarlet pool upon Dragoon's blue scales. Tyson grasped Kai as he fell forward limply, catching him before he slammed into the dragon's back. 

Behind him, Tyson heard a retching noise, and turned to see Dave vomit off the side of the majestic blue dragon. Tyson felt much like vomiting himself. The scene he had just witnessed was so miserably disturbing that his insides churned at the very thought of it. It played again and again in his mind, like a sickening movie showing over on a cinema reel before his eyes. When his own stomach lurched again, Tyson took a deep breath to control himself.

"Dragoon, take us to HQ. I don't think we can manage the walk from the edge of the forest. I doubt that BIOVOLT will follow us for some time now."

The dragon roared once more and began its journey again, with more speed now than before. It exited the street and turned the corner past Kitayo Park, making its way towards the junction. Tyson and Dave sat down, side by side, Tyson still cradling the unconscious Kai as firmly as he could. Dave's head was in his hands, and from time to time he rocked back and forth a little, whispering gingerly to himself as though he could erase what he had just witnessed.

"Don't break, Dave," Tyson said softly, almost as though he had rehearsed these lines or heard them somewhere before, "Don't crack. Don't close your eyes. Just look ahead. Look ahead to the end of this nightmare."

_What is this? _

_Mass confusion, this crazy way we're living._

_This emptiness we're passing out,_

_Like candy coated water drops,_

_Spilling out my thoughts, spilling out your guts._

_And I can't help wondering. _

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Well, how did you like it? Took me till . . . 03:34 in the morning! Oh, so healthy. Anyhow, I know it was quite graphic, and I'm sorry if I disturbed any readers. Even I thought the imagery was sick and I wrote it! And about Kai swearing . . . usually I don't tolerate swearing. It's a nasty habit and most people who swear say the filthy words because they know no better words. However, in this case it seemed appropriate, because it showed how much pent up rage Kai was releasing. A powerful word like that can give us a just picture of what the person is feeling at the time, and seeing as Kai was going through some pretty sick stuff, I think it's safe to say that the swear was acceptable. Sorry if anyone got offended. I know I did! I hate swearing! 

Anyhow . . . I'm off to go to bed. I'll update soon if you would kindly just click the button down there and review this baby. Arigato. Bonsoir.

X X X SMOOCHES!!!

Oh, and the lyrics were 'Candy coated water drops' by Plumb. She really is amazing you know! Check out her site . . . I'd tell you what it is but I haven't got a clue . . . 


	3. Freedom Ripped Away

Sherbet Mayhem: Howdy folks! It is I, the wreaker of candy-flavoured chaos throughout the land of fanfiction. Here's another sugary treat for y'all – it's chapter three of War!

Kai: You're way too happy.

Sherbet Mayhem: Quiet, Kai. Go clean the bathroom.

Kai: You do this to me every day! Why can't I speak and stuff at the start of your stories? You never let me!

Sherbet Mayhem: 'Cause you're fictional, and fictional people can't talk. However, they _can_ clean. Off you pop.

Kai: Man, I hate my life . . .  _(picks up toilet brush . . .)_

Sherbet Mayhem: Anyway, now that the poppet has left us, on to the legalities. I don't own anything much. You know, dovetail saw, piece of cheese, purple protractor – and today I add to my collection . . . A TUBE OF TOOTHPASTE!!! It's getting more and more useful by the day, I swear it . . . anyways, enjoy chapter three. Now I just gotta write this crap . . . oh, and thanks to all of you who reviewed. Merci beaucoup. Et . . . voilà!!! Le troisieme chapitre pour vous! (Mon français est tout à fait épouvantable!!!)

****************************************************************************************************************************** 

Chapter Three: Freedom Ripped Away 

Max sighed, his bright blue eyes flecking about the dim, dingy room. The walls were wooden and unstable – no plumb line verticals here. The floors were rather grotty and the one window that the room had was covered by a black piece of material – possibly rubber. The light was painstakingly dim, and often, vexingly, moths and large flies would find their way in and flutter about the weak glow until they fried themselves on the radiance. 

Max had been stuck in the room for over two hours now. It was his turn, after all. Before he had entered, Tyson had spent a whole afternoon in there! Now, the night was falling outside – but Max wouldn't have known but for the watch he wore on his wrist. All he could see was the enclosure of the dank room. 

Three days had elapsed since the incredible arrival of Dragoon in the forest HQ. The soldiers had stared in utter veneration at the sight of the enormous dragon as it stalked its way into the tiny camp. Surprisingly enough it had not left a mown down trail of trees behind it – the dragon was obviously very accurate and graceful, and it hadn't left a single sign that it had traipsed through the close forest to the tree-bound HQ – the HQ was not based on the floor. It was built as a succession of tree-bunkers, and this was probably why it was one of the only Japanese camps that had not been discovered by BIOVOLT. Dragoon had raised its head up to the lowest level of the camp, and onto the wooden platform had hopped Tyson and Dave, along with an unconscious Kai. Then, with a dazzling roar and a wave from Tyson, it had disappeared back into the chip held in its master's hands. 

Kai had immediately been moved to the medical unit. However, the facilities were not great. Supplies were very limited and there were no especially skilled doctors there – as was mentioned earlier, BIOVOLT troops were ruthless and would not hesitate to shoot at a doctor, even though, by rules of war, it is forbidden. The remaining soldiers had used what skill and supplies they had to bandage up Kai's leg and stop it from bleeding. In spite of this, the bullet was still lodged in the knee. The camp was only twelve soldiers strong – counting Kenny, who remained at HQ constantly to monitor stats and so on using the computer system there. 

Upon entering, and despite their pleas to stay with Kai, Tyson and Dave had been sent to another ward where they were given a good meal out of the little food the camp had left, and Dave's arm had been bandaged. Max had bombarded them with questions, his bubbly, inquisitive nature shining through amongst the concern he had for his friends. Tyson and Dave had answered as best they could, still traumatised and exhausted by the day's events. The other soldiers had seen this and decided quickly to let Tyson and Dave simply relax. They gave the two a bunker to themselves – usually bunkers were shared by four soldiers at the least – and let them sleep. 

The next day Tyson and Dave had awoken refreshed and alert. They had explained in detail the events of the previous day; of course avoiding the gorier details for the sakes of the rest of the squad. To their concern Kai still had not woken up, but had shown signs of developing a fever – probably caused by poisoning from the bullet. It was then that the group decided to take it in turns to watch over him, making sure that no shift in the unpleasant medical room was too long.   

Now, two days on, the other soldiers had become seriously concerned. Kai had indeed developed a fever, which had blazed within him, allowing him only a few minutes of clarity each day to speak to people. When it wasn't so bad, he had spoken quietly to Tyson and Dave, commending them on their efforts and thanking them for returning to help him with Dango. They, feeling overwhelmed with delight, had in return acclaimed Kai on his bravery, assuring him that the whole squad were proud to be captained by him. But this was a rare passing moment, and these instants of clear thinking were soon lost to the effects of the fever. All the soldiers could do was keep him as comfortable as possible until the fever passed – _if_, indeed, it passed.

Max sighed again, glancing over at the sleeping Kai, his face flushed and heated. Max was greatly concerned for his friend, certainly, but he longed to go outside and itched for another battle. It was safe to say that Max had begun to enjoy the thrill of battle – and I suppose that it was Max's way of blocking things out. The way he saw it, why let the atrocity of war consume the mind when it is just as easy to see the whole thing as some sort of competitive game? Life was beginning to matter less and less to the boy, and the hunger of war had started to consume his once innocent mind.

Still, he was a contented lad, and he got through the day more cheerful than the rest of the soldiers left in the squad. His thoughts still centred on entering into another bloody mêlée, Max removed the cold compress from Kai's forehead and dipped it in the nearby dish of iced water, ringing it out before placing it back on the boy's burning skin. 

A knock on the dark brown flimsy door snapped Max out of his reverie and he blinked, turning toward the door. It opened and in came Kenny, looking a little comical if not completely out of place in army khakis and boots. 

"Hey there Max," he said as he shut the door behind him. Max nodded a hello to the Chief, who moved to the bed.

"Anything happen?"

Max shook his head. "He woke up once, but I couldn't make any sense of what he said. He's been asleep for the past hour and a half."

Kenny nodded, his mind whirring. His job was not to be doctor, but he knew he could help out. After all, he was a science genius. He had been very busy the past few days, and, although he had given Kai a brief examination, he had not had time to look at the wound in extreme detail. Although it sounds mean to say Kenny had been given no time for Kai, it was true – but not through any choice of his own. Kenny had been weighed under with depressingly massive statistics. BIOVOLT were winning. Their troops were flooding the area – and Tokyo had been taken. 

Their squad, only twelve members strong, was the only surviving one in Japan. Every other portion of the Japanese army had been completely destroyed. Intelligence was demolished, and the only intimate knowledge that the Chief was receiving was from hidden allies that the BIOVOLT agents had not discovered . . .  yet. It was only a matter of time until their hidden allies were revealed and their source of information was permanently cut off. Their survival was simply a waiting game. 

Kenny moved over to Kai, watching the insentient boy as he breathed in and out shallowly. He shook his head.

"That bullet _has_ to come out."

Max nodded. "I know that already, Chief. But what do you suggest that we do? It's not like we have an expert doctor on the case, is it?"

"No," replied the Chief confidently, "but I have Dizzi. She can guide me, using her advanced technology, to the bullet, and I could probably remove it manually. Of course, I'd need a lot of help. And I'm going to have to open the stitches up again. So I need as many surgical instruments as we can spare. Are you in, Max?"

Max paused, uncertain. Sure, he trusted Kenny, but the Chief was not a doctor of medicine. He was a physics genius. Max didn't know whether he liked the idea of an inexperienced medical operating on one of his friends. 

"Um . . . I don't know, Chief. Sounds a little risky."

"If we don't remove it this fever isn't going to go away. It's better like this."

Max considered. He still didn't like this very much – but if there was no other choice . . . 

"Okay, I'm in. When are you going to do it?"

The Chief grinned, his face lighting up in a mischievous smile. "_Now._"

Max did a kind of double take. "Oh right, you're going to do it . . . wait, you're going to do it now?"

Kenny nodded. "Come on in, guys!"

The door to the hut swung open and in came Tyson, Dave, and two other soldiers, all cloaked in surgical masks and sterilised gloves. Tyson grinned at Max, but Max could only see the grin through his friend's grey-blue eyes, as a mask covered his mouth. He was given a pair of gloves and a mask of his own, and he quickly slipped them on after rinsing his hands in the nearby grotty basin. 

"Dave, could you hand Dizzi over to me?"

Dave passed the small laptop to Kenny as it chattered away. Dizzi had lost none of her bubbly personality during the war.

"Okay, Chief, let's get ready to rumble! Oh, and by the way, are you paying me for this?"

"Come on, Dizzi, quit goofing around!" scolded the Chief, "And besides! What would I pay you in?"

"Respect, Chief! What does a girl have to do around here to earn some R.E.S.P.E.C.T? Find out what it means to me! R.E.S.P--- "

Kenny cringed as Dizzi began to sing the famous Aretha Franklin song. He quickly turned down the volume on her built in speakers and spoke to the other soldiers, who were watching with amused smiles crinkling their eyes. 

"Okay, guys, now that Soul Diva has been silenced, let's get started . . . "

****************************************************************************************************************************** 

Later that night, as the stars began to radiate in the deep purple heavens above, Tyson sat outside the medical room, gazing upwards as a few clouds ambled above him. He sat on a small deck, easily accessible due to the wooden bridge nearby that led to the other soldier's rooms and the meeting room. There were about six bunkers in the trees altogether, excellently camouflaged so that they could not be seen with the naked eye. Masses of leaves and a canopy of branches hid them, and so the squad knew they were safely protected from view. Each room was joined to the next by a small wooden bridge, rickety but reliable in a pinch. There were only two entrances to the camp. The first was a rope, and it would be let down by the person who always stayed at the camp – Kenny. The other way into the camp was simply to climb. Small indentations had been made on one of the nearby trees, and using the branches of the tree with the indentations on it, one could reach the camp using a series of precise swings and jumps. 

Tyson sighed, his hand clutched around the small, bloody bullet that had finally been removed from Kai's knee. It had been a trying time. Kenny, of course, had done an excellent job and Tyson wouldn't hesitate to help him again. He had been entirely professional – as had the whole team. But they had not been in possession of any anaesthesia and Kai had woken on more than one occasion. Of course, having his knee slit open and instruments groping about inside it was not exactly painless. Dave had done his best to explain that they were merely removing the bullet, but it had been almost impossible to reach the Captain through the pain and fever that he was undergoing. One image that haunted Tyson more than others was his friend gripping the sides of the bed, his teeth ground together in torture, when Kai had looked directly at Tyson, his brown eyes wide, focused and completely alert. Seeing just how awake Kai was had disturbed Tyson; knowing that Kai could feel every agonising movement that Kenny's instruments made.

Tyson shuddered, rubbing his own knee almost in reassurance that he would never have to go through anything like that. He knew that he could never imagine the anguish that they had inflicted upon their leader – but it had all been for a good cause. Kai had passed out soon after he had locked gaze with Tyson and the whole operation had continued like that – wake up, pass out, in a constant chain of torture. 

Still, it had gone well, and the bullet was out now. Tyson had been told to throw it away but something compelled him to keep it. It remained clutched within his enclosed palm for the rest of the night as he kept vigilant watch outside the medical room, gazing up at the firmament and listening for any sounds of attack or ambush. Kenny and Dave had remained inside to simply watch over Kai and make sure that the wound was kept clean. Max had gone to patrol the area and keep extra watch. Sometimes Tyson worried about that boy. During the operation, where everyone else had been completely focused on Kai and the bullet, Max had constantly spoken about battle.

"When's the next battle? I can't wait for another good brawl. I got my pistol ready and waiting!"

Another sigh escaped Tyson's lips. The events of recent times had matured Tyson incredibly, and he thought so much more now. He thought about everything. Often nothing would please him more than to simply sit alone and watch the sky, processing things backwards and forwards in his mind. A lot had changed during the war.

_I still remember the world from the eyes of a child._

_  
Slowly those feelings were clouded by what I know now.  
  
Where has my heart gone?_

_  
An uneven trade for the real world._

_I want to go back to believing in everything,_

And knowing nothing at all.

Lyrics of a song he couldn't quite remember filled Tyson's head, and he sighed once more, feeling some small bangs of pain as his once naïve childish innocence was replaced by an intimate knowledge of man's nature. And he was pained also for Max, who had begun to show signs of relishing unhealthily in this nature. How far, wondered Tyson, would his friend be willing to go?

Pushing these depressing thoughts from his mind, Tyson stood up and stretched, clenching his fists together tightly and squinting his eyes shut for a second. 

"Tyson!"  
      

Tyson snapped open his eyes and turned around to face the door of the medical room, where the yell had escaped from. Heart pounding and wondering what on earth had gone wrong now, Tyson yanked the door open violently and sped through it at an impressive speed. He blinked, letting his eyes focus in the dim light of the room, and found himself facing a beaming Kenny and Dave.

"What is it, guys?" he asked frantically, his breath still coming quickly. Dave laughed outright at his frenzied expression.

"Chill, Tyson! Kai woke up and we just wanted to let you know!"

Blinking again, this time in stark confusion, Tyson glanced over at the bed, where Kai had already pulled himself into a sitting position and was looking at him with a very amused grin on his face.

"Nice to know you care, Tyson."

Tyson's eyes lit up at the sound of his Captain's voice, even though it was a little hoarse. He already looked so much healthier than he had merely hours ago. 

"Kenny," said Tyson generously, "You were right! Removing that bullet _did_ bring the fever down!"

Kenny shrugged. "Like I've ever been wrong, Tyson!"

They all laughed, and an incredible sense of relief washed over them. Kai was glad to be awake again. His dreams had been dark indeed during the sleep of the fever – visions of Dango screaming to him before being engulfed in an overthrow of flame had spun around his head sickeningly. He had not mentioned it to the others but he had felt extremely guilty about the death of Dango. Part of Kai told him to stop being silly, that it was just a huge accident, but somewhere inside panged and wondered whether Dango would have been safer staying face down in the rubble of the battle scene before being picked up by Kai. 

His face must have sobered or something because the others noticed. They stared at him before Dave came out with:

"Don't think it was your fault, Kai. It definitely was not."

Kai stared almost open mouthed at Dave. "How did you know I was thinking that?"

Dave rolled his eyes in false exasperation and tutted motherly. "For one thing, you kept mumbling sorry to Dango when you were feverish. It was pretty scary. Secondly, we all knew you'd feel guilty because you're the guy in charge, and whenever a man is lost the guy in charge immediately thinks it's his fault – which, in this case, it isn't."

Kai was silent, and he looked down at the white bed sheets, the bottom of them flecked with scarlet sparks of his own blood. Tyson moved over to the bed and placed a hand on Kai's shoulder.

"Kai, Dango would have been proud of the way you acted. We all are. Don't think for a second that he would blame you. Okay?"

Kai looked up at Tyson, inwardly afraid to admit that he was a little touched. He found himself looking at Tyson's outstretched palm. Glinting right in the centre of Tyson's tanned skin was a smooth black bullet, tiny spots of congealed blood going brown on the shell. 

"Who else," continued Tyson proudly, "would have tried to carry a friend to safety with a bullet through their knee?"

Kenny nodded his agreement. "You were great, Kai. You all were. Dango would be proud."

Kai looked at them all for a moment before smiling. "I guess. So . . . Kenny, how are the other camps doing? Did the BIOVOLT troop that we ran from discover them yet?"

The Chief furrowed his brows and adjusted his thickly rimmed spectacles. "Well, Kai . . . you've missed quite a lot of action. To cut an extremely long story short – we're the last free camp in the entire Japanese army. Our HQ is the only thing standing between BIOVOLT and success."

There was a silence, unbroken yet splintered all the way through. Kai's face paled drastically as the news sank in. It certainly was a wake up call. The other three in the room had no idea what to say, and looked down at the floor, their eyes averted. 

Finally Kai spoke, more calmly than they'd expected him to. "How many of them are there, Chief?"

The Chief looked up, appearing a bit flustered. "Well . . . um . . . "

Kai laughed grimly. "Thought so. Well, BIOVOLT will be going crazy trying to find us. I suggest we stay at HQ for the next couple of weeks. Keep a low profile until their hunger runs out. They'll think they own Japan. That we just disappeared without a trace. And then . . . " his voice trailed off as he realised that there was nothing they could do against BIOVOLT. 

"Cross that bridge when we come to it, huh Kai?" offered Tyson consolingly. Kai nodded with a sigh. 

"We'll think of something."

The other three nodded, doubtful but not about to show it. Kai was a great Captain, certainly, but it _was_ incredibly dubious that he would be able to lead a twelve strong troop of half trained soldiers to victory against BIOVOLT army of thousands. The odds were just too highly stacked against them.

Dave looked down to the floor again, feeling rather desolate and hopeless. He wasn't usually one to become depressed, but recent events had taken a toll on the lad. It wouldn't be long before all of their spirits were broken by this meaningless slavery. For who knew anymore what they were fighting for?

Dave sighed, a little wearily, but was all of a sudden jolted to his senses 

"Guys! Guys, quickly! Come here!"

It was Max's voice, and it sounded incredibly frantic. Tyson and Dave sped outside immediately, followed by Kenny, scampering along behind them with Dizzi slacking about his neck. The boys leapt out of the medical room, onto the medical deck, and across the rickety bridge to the nearest surveillance platform where Max was standing and yelling. He was staring through a small, not particularly powerful telescope that had been erected for observation when the camp was constructed. 

"What is it, Max?" cried Tyson as he got onto the deck first, followed by a swift footed Dave and a nervous Chief. Max glanced away from the lens for a second before ushering the Chief to it.

"Take a look, Kenny. What do you see?"

Kenny pressed his eye to the lens, looking left and right until his pupils could focus on what had alarmed Max.

"It's difficult to see anything because it's getting so dark now, but . . . it's a Japanese woman and a small girl, I think. The woman is heading this way. Should be able to hear her – she looks like she's screaming."

The four boys paused for a moment, listening to each and every sound – the gentle hushing of the trees that swayed in the escalating wind, the chirping of crickets below, and distantly, almost inaudibly, the voice of a despairing woman, her echo slipping through the trees to haunt her as she searched desperately for help and hope. 

The noise reached his ears, and Tyson peered through the telescope. "We should help them."

Max took a glimpse at Tyson before adding, "But what if there are BIOVOLT men waiting for us down there?"

"What does that matter?" came a dull voice behind them. Turning they saw that Kai had gotten out of bed and followed them. The Chief was about to scold him like a protective mother when Kai moved through them to the telescope, an obvious limp in his step.

"What do you mean, Kai?" asked Max, his eyes glinting as he watched his Captain in the night air. Kai looked back up from the telescope.

"Why are we fighting this war, Max?"

A little puzzled by the furtive response, Max pondered for a second before answering: "To kick BIOVOLT's butt!"

"And why is that?" asked Kai again; returning to the telescope and moving it down a little to focus on the moving woman and child. Max had to think a little harder this time.

"Well, because they are the enemy! Right?"

Kai sighed, returning his gaze to the naïve Max. "Max, we are fighting this war to protect our country," he said with a trace of disappointment, "We have to protect Japan and her people. Even if . . . " he looked back into the telescope lens, "it's just one woman and one child. We're not here for kicks, Max. We're here to save lives."

As the conversation played through, Tyson couldn't help feel his heart sink when he heard Max's heartless answers. He knew Kai had noticed the same change in Max as he himself had. Feeling bolder than before, he spoke.

"We _have_ to help them."

Dave nodded. "If there's no one left to protect, what do we do then? We need to keep as many of our people alive as we can. They might be hurt!"

Cornered by Tyson and Dave's enthusiasm in the matter, not to mention Kai's rather piercing words, Max had to give way.

"Okay, so let's go."

"Do we need backup or anything?" asked Dave, always thinking a step ahead. Kenny shook his head. 

"I'll stay here and monitor you guys on infra red. Radio me if you need help."

"Kai, we'll tell you what happened as soon as we get back," said Tyson firmly, "Now go back to bed. You look exhausted just getting out of bed!" 

Kai gave Tyson an extremely withering glance, mixed in with a little annoyance and scepticism. 

"Whatever. I'm coming too."

Tyson was about to protest when Dave held a hand to his mouth.

"Do as he says," he whispered calmly, "The woman is more important now. Kai'll manage."

Reluctantly Tyson gave up and made for the nearest rope, which was slung in a heap near the edge of the platform. He tossed it down and clambered down it a little awkwardly – he had never liked rope climbing. His radio remained safe, tucked into his belt. His feet touched ground and he let go of the rope in relief, the earth feeling reassuring beneath him. He looked up to see Dave making his way down the rope easily, his long legs and strong arms giving him ample support until he dropped to the floor lithely like a cat. In a way, Tyson was suddenly reminded of Rei, and he ached for his friend, who was probably training up in the Chinese army. He looked down at the ground, feeling a longing for Rei's bubbly, positive outlook, and when he looked up again he saw Kai land next to them softly, balancing lightly on one foot but looking a little pale.

"You okay?" asked Tyson cautiously. Kai nodded as, behind him, Max dropped to the earth and the rope was reeled up to the deck. The woman's cries could now be plainly heard. The words were still very unclear but she was definitely wailing for help. 

Dave moved forwards first, his height giving him an advantage to see further. He spotted the woman about fifteen metres away and they moved as a block toward her, slipping through the brambles and forestry like shadows; inky stains on a jet black page. Stealing through the night they finally reached the sobbing woman. 

She was tall, averagely built, with thick black hair that came just past her shoulders. It hung in rags about her face, as her dress did about her body. In fact, the dress was on backwards, and the woman was missing her shoes. The dress had been torn in such a way that the woman's cleavage was prominent and heaving, and the boys could instantly tell that she had been raped – possibly on more than one occasion. Next to her stood a small girl, skinny, with knobbly knees that protruded from her bony legs and a dirty face masking big black eyes that watched each one of them fearfully. 

Her clothes were on incorrectly too.

Appalled, Max stepped forward, something that had been suddenly closed up within his heart stirring and panging. He approached the woman gingerly, and she quietened, her sobs dying down a little. Meanwhile, Kai bent down and picked up the little girl, gripping her securely (if not a little coldly). Tyson greeted the girl as cheerfully as he could, asking her name and favourite food to distract her from her current situation. Dave also spoke to the older woman, reassuring her confidently and helping her to calm down and stop crying. 

Tyson felt the speaker on his radio vibrating and he heard a crackle through it. Hastily he picked up the radio, pressing it to his ear, as the reception was awful. As he did so he felt a splatter of rain drop onto his nose, and looked up into the firmament. The sky had turned from purple to dark grey and water was falling in fluency. He squinted as some rainwater dripped into his eyes and looked back down.

"Is that you, Chief? I can't hear you too well."

" . . . away, Tys- . . . it's . . . you have to r- . . ."

Confused, Tyson frowned, sensing an aura of alarm. "What, Chief?"

There was a rumble of thunder overhead, and suddenly the reception cleared. 

"Run! Get away from there, Tyson!"

Gasping, Tyson looked up to Kai frantically, who had heard every word. Kai's deep brown irises were darting around swiftly, scouring every bush for the slightest sign of movement. 

Taking charge, Kai gave his orders quickly. "Get these two to HQ. Move it."

He turned back to the HQ, the girl still clinging to him tightly, and breathed out in horror. Tyson did the same.

HQ was ablaze, the fiery sparks and embers dancing their macabre waltz in the deep grey sky. Smoke could be seen billowing as each platform slowly fell, crashing to the ground and ripping some of the trees and branches with them. Screams could be heard.

"KENNY!!!" screamed Tyson, lunging forwards and starting to run back to camp. Kai was about to yell and stop him, his world crumbling before his very eyes, when a shadow from a nearby loft leaped down and tackled Tyson viciously. They rolled over, Tyson crying out as they did so.

Growling, Kai dropped the girl to her feet and reached to his waist for his Uzis. He had strapped them on just as he had gotten out of bed and was thankful for that. However a sharp blow to the back of his right knee toppled him, and he yelled out in agony, the wound still incredibly painful. 

Dave and Max, by this time, had seen what was happening and had whipped out their own guns. Dave held a pistol and Max, preferring hand to hand, had relinquished a knife, which glinted in the deadly moonlight. 

Max looked around for his adversary. However, beside the one that was still rolling about and brawling with Tyson a little way ahead, there was no one to be seen. The assailant who had swept Kai was gone. 

"What the-?"

An arm about his throat silenced Max and he struggled frantically, his airway completely closed and his lungs already pounding for air. He thumped on the arm of his aggressor and then sank his knife deep into the flesh, relishing in his small victory as scarlet seeped from the wound. The arm was released and Max jumped away, gasping heavily, to immediately engage in combat with another hidden fighter.

Dave had caught sight of Kai's attacker retreating into the bushes and had followed, his gun loaded and at the ready. It was, unfortunately, knocked straight from his hand by an unseen foe and he was pushed to the floor. His head slammed into the concrete painfully and his world spun as he rolled into a thick patch of thorny greenery with his attacker. 

Tyson finally managed to break free of the soldier on top of him and scramble away to a second long security before being tackled and then pulled to his feet in a vice-like grip by another soldier.

Squeezing his fists together so hard that the palms felt like they would bleed in an attempt to block out the wash of pain in his leg, Kai staggered to his feet, allowing himself a moment of release when he grabbed an Uzi from its holster at his waist. Catching sight of a solitary guard, he whizzed around and aimed his gun, ready to fire.

"STOP!!!"

Kai paused, puzzled by the command which was given in Russian. Being raised for a while in Russia when he was younger had allowed him to grasp a firm knowledge of the language. He turned to where the voice had resounded from, and his heart pounded in his aching head when he set eyes upon Tyson, held firmly in the arms of a BIOVOLT soldier, a rifle pressed into his temple and ready to fire.

"Shoot him, Kai," said Tyson bravely and hoarsely, an arm pressed against his throat and preventing him from speaking properly. All the fighting around them suddenly stopped and all focused on this scene. Kai, poised with his gun at the ready, watched Tyson with wide eyes, a battle of his own playing in his mind.

"Shoot and we kill him," boomed the burly BIOVOLT soldier in clear, unbroken Russian. "Drop your weapon, Captain Hiwatari."

Kai frowned, and spoke to the soldier in slightly halted Russian. "How do you know my name?"

The soldier laughed. He was stocky, with a black uniform on that was a little short about the ankles and a grizzly chin that was in dire need of a good shave. 

"Ask any BIOVOLT soldier who you are, Hiwatari. You are one of the most hated faces in Russia. Boris made sure of that. You and that wormy team of yours; Kon, Granger and Tate, as well as you and that puny geek. I think he was at your pathetically hidden HQ, wasn't he? Ah well. He's burned now. Just a smouldering nerd burger."

Kai growled, annoyed. He had suspected that something like this would happen. He leaned forward a little to take some pressure off his throbbing leg.

"Why haven't you killed us?" he asked gruffly, almost allowing his thoughts to turn to Kenny, lost in the flames at HQ. He knew he couldn't allow himself to sink into grief for his friend. Although Kai and the Chief had never particularly bonded, they had come to respect each other and Kai had realised what a value contribution Kenny made to things in the past few weeks. Now was not the time to break down. He had to stay strong in the face of trial and punishment.

The soldier spat into the dirt, pressing the gun a little harder into poor Tyson's head, making him wince.

"Boris' orders. You're not to die yet."

He looked at the grimacing Tyson, whose heart was shuddering and gasping in his chest.

"Of course, we could always make this runt's death look like an accident."

Kai narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Touch him and your entire troop goes down, I swear it."

The BIOVOLT soldier's lips curled, and, unrestricted he laughed out loud, guffawing in amusement. When he calmed, he glanced back at Kai.

"Take a look around, Hiwatari."

Reluctant to take his eyes from Tyson, Kai glimpsed sight of Dave and Max, each in the same predicament as Tyson. His head pounded as he realised that there was nothing he could do to save all of his friends at once. Sighing, hope beginning to fade away already, Kai lowered his Uzi slowly and then dropped it to the ground. 

"There."

Instantly he felt his arms being twisted behind his back and a gun being pressed to his own already aching head. For some reason he had the most terrible headache. Upon them all the rain began to pour, lashing down in tiny bullets, not strong enough to pierce the skin yet sharp enough to sting. Thunder rumbled ominously overhead and Kai caught distant sight of a lightening streak, knifing through the sky and splitting the night. 

Beside him, Kai saw the woman and child having their wrists bound. One BIOVOLT soldier was eying the woman, his eyes sparking with primeval lust and inhumane thought. Another stared, fascinated, at the child, a similar look in his eyes. Suddenly feeling incredibly desperate, Kai spoke out:

"At least let the woman and child go. They're innocent."

The lead soldier who had conversed with Kai a moment ago chuckled. "Of course, Captain Hiwatari. Whatever you say, Captain Hiwatari. You're under our rule now. Shut your mouth or your friend here gets it."

Wincing, Kai could do nothing but fall silent; feeling like his pride was being run over by a tank. Still, he could do nothing but watch in mute as one soldier slipped his hand down the trembling woman's cleavage. The woman's eyes spilled over with crystal tears, and, tearing himself up inside, Kai found himself looking away when the other lusty soldier reached toward the shivering child. He couldn't bring himself to watch.

Behind him, Dave spoke quietly. "Where are you taking us?"

"That's for you to find out," answered the leader, still holding Tyson firmly. Somehow, Kai already knew where they were going. 

They began to be marched through the thick undergrowth, guns still pointed at them but not into their heads as Tyson had experienced earlier. Their hands were bound tightly, so tight that Max lost feeling in his hands after a while. They traipsed through the forest at the mercy of the officers of BIOVOLT, Dave's head spinning from where he hit it on the floor. Tyson's thoughts were not focused on his own safety, but the inconsolable loss of Kenny. The Chief had always been one of Tyson's best friends, and to lose him was like losing an arm. It was as if this were some sort of surreal dream as things floated by him. Kai merely stumbled along in thought. Where were China and Britain? Would they be here soon? Japan could no longer hold its defences. In fact, its last defence had been demolished in an amber glow and a spiral of smoke. They needed help.

After two hours of hard marching, Kai felt that he could not keep up for very much longer. He had been attempting to walk on his injured leg as much as possible to disguise the fact that he was already hurt, as the soldiers would spot it and use that fact against him. Every step he took was agony. His head spun, still not quite clear of fever, and a few steps in front of him, Dave felt a similar complaint. His head burned in the corner, throbbing from where it had connected with the hard ground. Max wondered if his hands were blue and Tyson was still in a dream, his heart breaking over the loss of a friend. The BIOVOLT soldiers who had captured them – about ten in all – shoved them along roughly, jeering at them if they tripped and poking them with their rifle barrels. All around them the rain continued to splatter heavily, marring their vision and searing their skin. A rather nasty wind blew and cut into their faces as they marched, and thunder rolled above. 

They approached a depressing, dark grey area that matched the gloom of the night. It looked about six hundred and fifty squared acres in all, carefully laid out. A barbed wire fence ran around the compound. Outside the fence were fourteen matching gun turrets, each one looking lethal in the occasionally flash of lightening. The barbed wire looked to be electrified – as Kai caught sight of at least two dead bodies, hands thrust through the wire in desperation, lying up against the wire. Inside the fence were neat dark green barracks, lined up like a row of body bags. They were about three metres wide and three metres long, with no windows and only one door each. The ground was muddy in the rain and the four Japanese lads repeatedly slipped and stumbled as they were shoved to an entrance gate.

The main BIOVOLT soldier, whose nametag read Captain Dursk, muttered a number password and the metal gate in front of the boys slid open. Tyson, Dave and Max all glanced at each other, each knowing what was coming. The lightening streaked again as they were thrust forward into the area, lighting up the threatening, frightening looking metal fence and reflecting in the ground water around them. They were led forwards for a while until they reached a small white room. 

They stood there, dripping puddles of their own onto the floor, shivering in the dull light, hearts pounding. The room smelled of tobacco and sweat, and the floor was filthy. It was bare except for a dark brown desk in the middle of the room, and the man at the desk. 

The man wore a facial mask that covered his eyes and part of his nose, and his eyes glowed red in sadistic delight. He wore a green duffel coat with a white collar that stuck up ridiculously, and his hair was hidden beneath an army cap.

"Boris," breathed Kai as the door shut behind them. 

Boris looked up at them and gave them a contorted, twisted smirk.

"Welcome, boys, to Balkov Labour Camp."

The words settled in on Kai's chest and he sighed heavily, his shoulders suddenly feeling very heavy. He'd known it from the start. 

"Rei . . ." he thought despairingly, "Where are you?"

****************************************************************************************************************************** 

In a bed somewhere in the heart of China, Rei Kon jolted awake with wide eyes.

"Kai . . ."

*****************************************************************************************************************************

Sherbet Mayhem: Another day another chapter. That was pretty crappy. Sorry I took so long to update. I got my exam results this week and I've been very nervous – too nervous to even think about stories! But I did good so now I can concentrate. Did you like it? Yeah, that was the Rei-Meister at the end. The cat is back! Er . . . anyhow, read and review, if you please. It's now . . . 02:13 am, so that's how hard I work to satisfy you people! Hope you're enjoying it! Aw, and poor Kenny's dead. What a . . . shame. Tragic. Oh, and just in case it may have even slightly occurred to you, Rei and Kai are NOT going to be gay. There will be no gay activity in my stories. If you like your slash then read somewhere else.

Now who should I kill off next? Hmm . . . let me see . . . 

The next chapters are probably gonna be quite gruesome – nothing more than chapter two, by the way. Just in case you get put off. Well, they might be gruesome. I haven't written them yet, have I? I still have no idea where this is going. If anyone has any amazingly fantastic plot ideas, just email me at reiko_hiwatari@hotmail.com. I'd love to hear from you guys! Oh, and read my other fic if you get time! It's called Hidden Adversary and it's completed. I'm trying to sell it off as much as possible because I spent four months on it and have a grand total of . . . SIX reviews! It's really pathetic – and it's a top quality story! Honest. Of course it's Kai centred. Who else would I write about? Tyson? Pfuh, yeah right. Only in a rare moment of insanity. 

Kai: Rare?

Sherbet Mayhem: You're supposed to be cleaning. Anyhow, to all people who have read and reviewed so far, on any of my stuff, thank you sooooooooo much! I appreciate every review and I take to heart all of the comments you make.

Hope you've enjoyed it so far, and I'll update soon! 

Oh, and the lyrics in the middle of the chapter were from "Field of Innocence" by Evanescence. THEY ROCK AND I'M GOING TO SEE THEM IN OCTOBER!!! Yay! Sorry, I'll go now. 

REVIEW!!!!!!!! Please?

Oh, and I got an A in French! Hee hee! How could I say my French was terrible (see beginning of chapter)? Oui, mon français est manufique! Ha ha! Je suis l'homme!! (In a metaphorical sense, you French speakers. I'm a girl!!!)  


	4. MerryGoRound

Sherbet Mayhem: Hey and howdy ya'll! How is everybody doing? Hope you're feeling fine and dandy, like I am. Mainly because it's 23:50 pm, I'm hyperactive, and it's time for the next chapter of War to be written! 

Rei: I'm feeling just a little scared right now.

Sherbet Mayhem: That's 'cause you're a scaredy cat. Get it? Scaredy . . . CAT??? Oh I am so funny!

Rei: No, really, you're not.

Sherbet Mayhem: You're supposed to be cleaning with Captain Kai. And what have I told you about the uniform?

Rei: Oh man . . . _(Pulls out bow tie, white apron and maid hat and puts it all on)_

Sherbet Mayhem: You'll get any girl you want like that, Rei.

Rei: Uh huh, whatever you say, sugar lady. Just don't torture me like you have everyone else in this story!

Sherbet Mayhem: You wish. Anyhow, back to the people . . . THANK YOU to ALL who reviewed! It was lovely of you all . . . and thanks for NOT going and reading Hidden Adversary. Still a lousy SIX reviews. Well, I don't know if I should even write any more on War. You offended me so badly – oh, who am I kidding, I'm dying to write some more! Let's go!

Oh, just before I forget, I own very little. Certainly not Beyblade. Just a dovetail saw, a piece of cheese, a purple plastic protractor, a tube of toothpaste, and a STRAWBERRY YOGHURT!!! Mmm, strawbelicious. I am actually eating one right now. Yes, I'm eating yoghurt at 23:58 pm. I'm nocturnal or something. Let's see if it improves my writing any!

One more point I'd like to make in this ridiculously long disclaimer is that this story is written in utter respect to anybody who has been involved in war in any way, or perhaps who's parents or grandparents were involved in slave labour camps, gas camps or similar. I give to you my respect and I commend all who have ever lived – or died – during such a time. I hope you find I treat such matters with respect, because that is exactly what I feel. 

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Chapter Four: Merry-Go-Round

"Bend your knees, whippet!"

Dave groaned, feeling that if he bent his knees he would collapse. He squinted his eyes shut in a gesture of pain and bit on his lip.

"I said BEND!!!"

The harsh voice of the officer – who spoke simple Japanese – cut into Dave's mind, where he had been trying to picture more pleasant situations, like watching a football game on a lazy Saturday afternoon at home, sipping on a Coke and enjoying the warm weather. Now, the rain continued to beat down upon the muddy grounds of Balkov Slave-Labour Camp. All around him he could hear the agonised groans of people being forced to labour beyond human capacity. If somebody slipped or made even the slightest mistake, the chances were they would be shot dead on the spot. Or beaten cruelly with one of the barbed wire birches that the officers held at their belts. 

Dave opened his eyes again, brought back to reality not only by the officer's annoying voice but also by the huge block stone on his back. It weighed so much that Dave could hardly lift it. For the past half an hour he had been forced to walk with it loaded onto his aching back and every now and then the guards made him bend his knees three or four times, just for their own amusement. 

Guessing that his knees would not hold this, Dave began to bend his legs slowly, sensing his knees trembling enormously. He heard the guards cackling maliciously, sadistically, as he lowered himself. Sure enough, his knees could not take the pressure and they buckled beneath him. As he slipped, he wondered what the guards would do with him. Would they shoot him? What would happen to his girlfriend back home? Would she be okay without him? How about his friends? What would happen? A million questions entered his head that he hadn't even thought about before. 

Dave fell to the right, but found himself leaning against something before he hit the floor. He gasped, the officers still laughing, and looked right to see he was leaning against another person. It was Kai. He was bending down himself, burdened with yet another block stone, not allowing Dave to hit the floor. 

"Dave . . . "he muttered through gritted teeth, his eyes completely focused ahead, "Get . . . up."

Dave breathed in and out quickly a few times before rebalancing himself and getting to his feet. The officers laughed even more as the two glanced at each other. They had been at this camp for exactly one week now. It was complete torture. Kai would go so far as to call it hell – but this was probably worse. The rainy weather had kept up, even making the desolate scenery miserable. 

The boys shared a five-bed bunker – though it was barely big enough to fit two people in, never mind four. They were allowed to retire to their beds at eleven every night, and were woken at five every morning by Russian guards. The boys' Beyblades had been removed from their possession immediately, much to the boys' dismay. Their work began almost immediately – after a small health check. Kai had barely scraped the health check on the first morning. The wound in his knee, despite the expert bandaging, had become infected and was too painful to stand on. Luckily, the guards hadn't seemed to mind making him work on it. If anyone failed the health check they were rounded up and marched off towards some bunkers further down the row. Everyone knew what they were for. 

After the health check – which lasted about ten or fifteen minutes – the prisoners were put to work. For that is what they were, prisoners. They were given one meal a day, as all prisoners were expected to lose forty percent of their body weight during their stay at the camp. They would begin labour at five fifteen – and it was such pointless, trivial labour. One day Tyson had been forced to march for half an hour with a stack of heavy slate slabs, place them down, pick up another pile and carry it back to where he had started off, only to pick up another pile and take it again. Essentially he would be marching back and forth for no reason. Often the boys were split up and put amongst other prisoners, so sometimes the only chance to speak to each other would be in the middle of the night, when they should have been asleep but their rumbling stomachs would keep them awake. 

Dave smiled weakly at Kai, who nodded back wearily, his own knees feeling as if they would break. He knew his wound was bleeding; he could feel the slither of blood snaking down the back of his leg. They had been allowed to keep their army clothing, but they were so tattered and dirty that they looked like grey rags hanging off underweight bodies. All had lost a worrying amount of weight. Tyson was as thin as a rod, Dave was even worse. Max had always been skinny, but now he looked like there was no muscle upon him. Kai hadn't thought about looking at himself in the mirror – well, they didn't have a mirror. He knew he was dreadfully thin, as were they all. 

"Get moving," called one of the guards and they set off again, carrying their pointless loads to an unknown destination. Dave and Kai had been put together, but they had no idea where Tyson and Max were. The time was ten thirty at night, and all the boys could see of each other were black, evanescent blemishes against the grey night sky. 

The boys trudged on once again, an unpleasant smell of gas and smoke filling their noses as their feet slogged through the thick mud below them. Kai looked up, and in the colourless distance could see smoke rising from the crematorium towers. Another batch had been disposed of. 

Kai sighed, his breath catching in his throat a little. A week of little food, less water and solid labour had exhausted him. His face was white and thin, and he could barely find the will to wake up in the mornings. He only kept going for his team – he was determined that the three remaining soldiers should stay exactly that – remaining. He would not let them die. His duty as Captain was to protect them and look after them – and his duty as friend was to look out for them and help them if he could. And somewhere inside flickered the distant hope that another good friend would eventually find them, and lift them out of this hellhole in which they were slaves. His thoughts often drifted to Rei, and he wondered what his friend was doing. 

_"Hopefully he's not stuck in a place like this,"_ he thought to himself as he forced his feet to march another step. Just behind him, Dave was marching along steadfastly, his head dropping under the pressure, his legs dead and fatigued. All he wanted was a five-minute rest, nothing more! But it wasn't likely. 

Suddenly the officer was speaking to them again, his Japanese halted and expressionless. 

"Put down the blocks and face me."

Dave, Kai, and the other four prisoners put down their blocks carefully. One prisoner at the back, a girl who couldn't have been more than sixteen, dropped hers a little too quickly and it cracked along the floor, sending dark grey pieces of rock splintering.

Dave winced as the leading officer strode toward the girl, his birch in his hand. The thing was about a metre long and lined with lethal barbed wire. The girl – a pretty young thing with light brown hair and dark brown eyes – whimpered as the guard lifted his branch. 

"No, please!" 

Another female voice interrupted, and Kai turned to see another girl – tall with ebony black hair – darting toward the officer and pleading as he brought the whip down upon her friend. Kai stared at her, impressed. She had a lot of courage to do that. She was very thin and looked as if she'd been at the camp slightly longer than the four boys had. The officer growled at her before smacking her away with a stroke of his long arm. He then continued to whip the other girl. Dave looked away when he saw blood spattering into the air. It almost looked like pure black water. Dave contented himself with just looking at the girl nearby, who was watching and crying softly as her friend was torn apart for being exhausted. 

"Back to your bunkers!"

The guard who was whipping the girl stopped and walked away, as did the other guards. Kai and Dave stood completely still as the other prisoners hustled off to their bunkers, eager to climb onto the hard, coverless beds and fall into the uneasy realms of sleep. The girl who had been courageous enough to stand up to the guard remained standing, staring at her friend who lay lifeless on the floor. 

Feeling terrible, Dave moved over to the bloody girl and lifted her wrist, feeling for a pulse. It had obviously been beaten out of her. She did not breathe, she did not move. She simply continued to leak blood into a puddle beside her. 

The girl with the jet-black hair let out a restricted sob, and clasped a hand to her mouth, wanting to avoid a break down as Dave shook his head. Kai walked over to her.

"Keep it together," he muttered quietly to the girl as she removed her hand from her mouth. He could see the sparkler tears trickling down her cheeks as she looked up at him, her eyes grey but appearing silver in the night-light. Kai looked down at the floor.

"I'm sorry, but you have to move on quickly. Don't let them destroy you."

Kai didn't quite know why he was trying to help this girl. He supposed that her bravery had made an impression. 

The girl nodded, speaking through a trembling voice. "She was my sister."

Kai and Dave looked at each other sadly. They had seen things like this happen so many times this week. People were brutally murdered for simply being human. 

"I can't . . . can't go on like this . . . "she mumbled a little incoherently, shaking her head from side to side, "Just . . . just kill me now. Let me die. I don't want to live anymo-"

Kai grabbed the girl by her shaking shoulders and turned her to face him directly, his voice hushed yet strong and desperate.

"Listen to me. Treasure the fact that you're alive. If you're hungry, be glad that you can still feel hunger. If you're thirsty, relish in your desire, because it proves that you're still here. And if you bleed, savour the pain, because it shows they haven't defeated you. _Feel_ every single breath as it enters into your lungs, as it spreads throughout your body. Because it may be your last." 

Dave stared up at Kai, who was gazing directly into the girl's eyes. He was surprised that Kai had even bothered to speak to the girl, let alone give her such an encouraging talk. The girl had stopped crying and was watching Kai intently. 

"Th . . . thank you."

Kai nodded and dropped his arms, wishing he hadn't lifted them and had saved himself a bit of energy.

"Dave, let's go back. We need to sleep."

Dave nodded and scrambled to his feet, every limb, every muscle aching. He watched the girl glance at him, and then back up at Kai, who stood quite a way taller than her. 

"Well, I'll see you soon, hopefully," she said shyly, looking away.

Kai smiled at her, looking tired. "We have a spare bed. You can come with us if you like."

He had guessed exactly what the girl had been worrying about. She had shared a very small bunker with her sister, and was frightened of spending the night alone. A nod from her accepted the invitation, and she held out her hand to Kai.

"My name is Luna."

Kai took her hand a little awkwardly. He didn't like shaking people's hands. "Kai. And that's Dave."

Luna turned to look at Dave and he gave her a quick wave. "Hi."

Without a word, Kai dropped Luna's hand and turned towards their bunker, which was not very far away. When they got there he opened the door quietly so as not to disturb the sleeping Max and Tyson. However, they were both awake. 

"Is that you, guys?"

The light in the bunker was off, and so Tyson could not see the people entering. Dave smiled.

"It's us, Tyson. We brought a friend. Luna."

Tyson greeted them, and then so did Max. Kai took a seat on his hard bed, lifting his knee up gingerly and cleaning the blood off it with his dirty sleeve – for what else could he use? He hissed through his gritted teeth and then spoke.

"How are you two doing?"

Tyson's response was surprisingly cheery. "Not bad. They didn't seem to work me as hard today. I'm still hungry, though."

Max seemed a little less enthusiastic. "I'm holding up, Kai." Max seemed to have lost some of that love for battle that he had acquired. His eyes were duller each and every day. Hour by hour his spirit sank a little further, and his soul was gradually being broken. 

"Well, get a good night's sleep," said Dave, attempting to be positive, "We're up bright and early tomorrow!"

Tyson smiled, lying straight on his back to attempt to stop it from aching so much. "You can say that again."

Max sighed. "D'you think it'll be so bad tomorrow?"

"Who knows?" said Luna, breaking in, "Maybe they'll feed us some more or something?"

"Sounds wishful to me," chuckled Dave, his spirits lightened for some inexplicable reason. Then he settled on his rocky bed and closed his eyes, knowing he would need all the sleep he could get for the next day's labour. Tyson and Luna drifted off, followed by Max, who had a lot of worries on his mind. Kai fell asleep at about one in the morning, kept awake by worries disguised as thoughts. 

******************************************************************************************************************************

Tyson grit his teeth and bit on the side of his cheek as he lifted a long metal pole. It was dense and heavy and about three times his length. The time was about midday, and he hadn't eaten yet. Seven hours of work with no food had made him dizzy and it was all he could do to keep standing. Still, on he carried, determined not to give in. Soldiers beside him continually chanted taunts and orders at the Japanese slaves around him. He didn't know what was being built – in fact, he wasn't even sure if this labour had a point to it. The weather was still wet; as a matter of fact today was wetter than ever. The rain poured down, making the ground slippery and treacherous. All it would take was one slip . . . 

A couple of metres away, Kai put down a pole and wiped his brow clean of a mixture of rainwater and sweat. His stomach panged for food. Nevertheless he continued, picking up another pole and beginning to walk with it. His feet felt like lead and his legs weren't much better off. The smell of rancid smoke had stopped because the incinerators – where all the slave's dead bodies were placed and cremated – had run out of coal, and somewhere else in the camp, bodies were being stacked like firewood, fresh from the gas chambers. Now the place reeked with the smell of death. 

Dave, Max and Luna had been placed on another job – though Kai and Tyson had no idea what. They were too busy concentrating on their own tasks until they were placed on a different job – which would occur in the next ten minutes. Prisoners were moved quite quickly around the camp to fulfil various tasks. 

Tyson caught Kai's eye and they smiled at each other encouragingly, a little relived that the work they were doing was not as gruelling as some of the tasks. However, just then, and officer spoke to them and began to march them to their next shift, merely referred to as 'Clearance.'

Five minutes later, Tyson, Kai and the rest of the people who had been lifting poles arrived at their next job. Tyson almost passed out when he took it in. 

Before them was a pile, about six feet high, of dead, naked bodies. Flesh revealed as rotting, bruised, beaten or bloody. Screams of agony imprinted on people's faces even in death. The smell was appalling. These people had died either in the gas chambers or simply through labour. 

Kai merely stared, open mouthed, at the sight before him. Three or four feet away from the pile was a hole, neatly dug and very deep. He could see what they had to do.

"Clear the bodies into the hole within the next hour," boomed the guard, a nasty smile plastered onto his face. Tyson shook his head in a silent plea. 

_"I . . . I can't. They're . . . I just can't."_

Tyson felt a shove in his side and he stumbled forwards. It was Kai, looking pale at the prospect of doing what he had to, who had shoved him.

"Get to it, Tyson," he said, his voice dull and monotone, "We _have_ to."

Kai looked down and took a deep breath. Then, he bent and slipped a rotting arm over his shoulder, closing his eyes in disgust. He felt the weight of the dead body about his shoulders, and, resisting the urge to vomit then and there, stumbled towards the pit nearby. As soon as he reached it he dropped the body in, almost sick again as he heard the body thump into the base of the pit. He shuddered and swallowed in an effort to control himself. This was foul.

Looking back, he saw Tyson grappling with another dead body which was slightly too tall for him. He went to help and then stopped short as he saw the full head of ebony hair resting on Tyson's shoulders. 

"Is that . . . ?"

He moved right up to Tyson, who was retching as he walked and had his eyes squinted shut tightly, and touched the face of the body, tilting it towards him. The silver-grey eyes were half open, glazed with something Kai had never encountered before. Tyson carried on his back the body of Luna. 

Something snapped within Kai. He had felt such promise when he had spoken to this girl. She had shown such courage, such grim determination when trying to save her sister. Yet it had all gone to waste, and, judging by the lack of wounds on her naked flesh, Kai knew she had gone down in the gas chambers. 

He clenched his fists together, an expression of rage desperate to burst out from within him. He stopped Tyson and took Luna's body from him, laying it gently on the floor, attempting to show her at least some respect.

The guard on duty watched as Kai did this, and his face twisted into a smug little smile. Grinning, he waltzed over to Kai, who was bending beside the body.

"Back to work, you runt. Your little girlfriend'll be fine in the hole. Now drop her in and let her rot."

Kai breathed out slowly, heavily, clenching his fists even harder. Tyson watched him; well awake that Kai was not likely to take this.

"No one, least of all her, deserves to die like this," Kai muttered quietly, gazing at Luna's face, "How would you feel? How can you do this?"

He stood up and turned simultaneously to face the BIOVOLT guard, and, before the guard knew what was coming Kai had slugged him right in the jaw. The guard stumbled backwards and fell right over onto the floor. Around him, the Japanese prisoners burst into laughter. Kai and Tyson merely stared down at him in disgust, Kai rubbing his fist where the knuckles had turned red. 

"You'll _pay _for that!" cried the incensed guard, scrabbling to his feet and clutching his face. Two other guards ran up at the outburst of laughter. Laughter was rare in a place like this and it showed a form of rebellion in the slaves. Laughter was forbidden.

"Get him!" yelled the guard with the injured jaw and injured pride, and the two guards leaped at Kai, pulling his arms behind his back, allowing him no movement. Kai knew what he had done had been stupid and risky, but he would do it again in a heartbeat. He signalled to Tyson not to protest as the guard he had punched swam into his line of vision.

"So that's your game?" he spat, his breath reeking of onion and making Kai wince, "Well, it's time to show you one of _our games_."

He signalled for the guards to move, and turned to the whole Japanese group, who were watching with wide eyes.

"You lot come with me. I'm about to show you what happens to rebels around here."

Tyson's heart pounded in his chest, and he tried to keep himself from panicking. He admired Kai for standing up to the guard, but was also annoyed with him for making such a stupid move. His head spun wickedly and he stumbled in the direction that the guards were carrying Kai. 

They finally reached a small clearing, which had a little grass on it. A small pile of rope lay discarded nearby, and the injured officer picked it up. Tyson gulped. Were they going to hang Kai? Whip him?

Tyson pushed his way to the front of the crowd of prisoners, who were watching very nervously as the two guards pressed Kai against the tree, his body still facing forwards. Kai never made a sound. He simply stared at the guard he had punched with a slight grin on his face.

"Bind him," said the guard.

******************************************************************************************************************************

Max rammed his shovel into the ground once again, throwing the pile of soil behind him as he dug. He and Dave had been assigned a digging task, as the BIOVOLT army wanted to put down a road, and the soil had to be levelled out. Nearby, Dave whistled quietly to himself, glad that he wasn't clearing the bodies ten metres away. He had been given a pickaxe, and, although he had been very tempted to use it on one of the more sharply tongued guards, he had contented himself with pretending he could see Boris' face in the soil and smashing the pickaxe through it.

He suddenly heard an angry cry, and he and Max, along with all the other prisoners working on the road looked up. Their guards were being called, the both of them, and they sped off towards the body pile. Puzzled, Max watched them run for a second, amused with the thought that the two guards ran like chickens, and then slammed his shovel into the soil again, happy that he was on such an easy job for the next couple of hours. He could hear the guards yelling in the distance but it was all in Russian and he couldn't even try to understand it. Next to him, Dave began to talk.

"How you doing, Max?"

"I'm fine, Dave," Max replied cheerily. This was probably the best day he'd had so far. Dave laughed.

"Don't know why you're so happy. People on road digging miss lunch – well, according to that guy over there."

Max shrugged. "I'll survive."

Dave smiled and returned to his axing. It was quite enjoyable, actually, despite the hunger pains in his stomach and the unhappy awareness that he stank like an unwashed pig. 

Just then there was a lot more shouting, and Dave and Max glanced up again. Looking over to the body pile nearby, Dave, being taller than most, caught sight of a familiar prisoner being jumped on by the guards that ran like chickens. Concerned, Dave glanced at Max, who was squinting at the figure.

"Is that Kai?" he said, leaning forwards to check it out.

Dave shrugged. "Looks like him. Not sure though,"

He and Max looked at each other once again, before nodding. "Let's check it out."

They dropped their tools, aware they could earn a good beating for that, and raced towards the area where all the commotion was. Behind them, the road diggers followed suit and raced towards the scene to watch. 

Dave and Max arrived at the scene – which had moved slightly – and caught their breath. Scouring over the heads of the crowd, Dave caught sight of Tyson's blue-grey bangs and he and Max pushed their way through the whispering, fidgety crowd. They reached Tyson, who seemed worried out of his mind.

"TYSON! What's going on?" asked Max in a hush. Tyson, looking remarkably upset, nodded towards the nearby tree, which was thin and tall, with high branches and few leaves. 

"Kai took one of the guards down, and they're about to . . . 'show him their game', or so they said,"

Dave's mouth dropped open. "What made Kai take on a guard like that? It's not like him!"

"We were clearing bodies," said Tyson quietly, eyes scanning the scene nervously, "and we found the body of Luna. He just seemed to snap."

"Looks like he's snapped now," said Max, looking at Kai's face in front of him, "He's still smiling at the guard."

Tyson and Dave looked forward and they watched as the two chicken guards bound Kai's hands around the tree, stretching his arms out behind him. It looked like an uncomfortable position. They then bound his torso to the tree with some more rope; making sure Kai's feet were just off the ground as they did so. The injured guard approached Kai a final time.

"This game is called 'Merry-Go-Round. I'm not sure why. It ain't merry for you."

He spoke in a low, sneaky voice, rather like a hiss, and then turned to the other guards who had just finished binding Kai to the tree. Kai had stopped smiling but did not look scared. He merely watched the offended guard as he spoke to the other officers. 

_"I want to hear him scream," _he said maliciously, licking his lips in a somewhat perverted fashion. Tyson shook his head. 

"What are they going to do?"

Dave and Max both now looked as worried as he did. Their looks of worry soon morphed into grimaces of horror as the guards picked up two heavy pieces of lumber wood from the floor nearby. 

"No . . ."   

Tyson closed his eyes as the first blow cracked right into Kai's shin. There was a dreadful splitting sound, followed by an uneasy silence. He looked up and saw Kai, his brow furrowed and his eyes closed, but no sound escaped his lips. 

The next blow came, and the next, and the next, all directed at Kai's legs. Kai resisted the urge to cry out each time, every blow splitting the skin on his legs and making them bleed cruelly. He could feel his legs twitching beneath him after each blow. The BIOVOLT guards' laughter spiralled in his ears as they watched him, as they leaped around in a macabre dance, whacking his legs non-stop. Each blow knocked him sick and dizzy and he fought as hard as he could against the urge to cry out 'I'm sorry! Please let me down!'. No, he remained silent, pressing his teeth together and breathing in sharply as each blow connected.

The guard seemed incensed that Kai hadn't made a single noise. His face reddened and he yelled at his guards.

"I said I wanted to hear him scream! Do you hear screaming? I certainly don't!"

The guards looked apologetic, and then laughed. Tyson shook his head in disbelief, his face pale and ashen. Max had looked away, unable to watch, tears spilling from his eyes at this inhumane act of torment and persecution. Dave simply stared at Kai's legs, saturated in scarlet blood, watching with a horrified expression as they twitched. 

Kai looked up, his hair dangling into his eyes and his breathing shallow and sticky, wondering if his punishment was over. Unfortunately he looked up into the smack of a board, right into the side of his face. His face slammed to the side and he almost cried out. Still, he held tight to his silence. The guards growled and hit his legs again, twice as fast and twice as hard. Kai grimaced in agony as he felt the bones begin to break. He couldn't feel his previously injured knee anymore, but he knew it was absolutely pouring blood. His shins felt as though they were on fire. Crack – there went the other knee. Crack – his foot was crushed. Crack, crack, crack.

"Move to the waist!" cried the sadistic BIOVOLT officer, bent on revenge and having the time of his life. Tyson gasped.

"This can't be real," he mumbled, as though he were in a dream. 

Kai's eyes widened at the sound of what was coming next. More than ever he felt the urge to end it all with a simple apology. But he couldn't – he was holding silent simply out of respect for Luna. He kept his mind focused on her image, on her half open, glazed over eyes, on her bravery, as the blows moved up his body, past his thighs, to his pelvis, his groin and his waist. He could feel the bones literally shattering each time they were hit. One particularly painful one was his pelvic bone. Excruciating also were the repeated blows to his genital region. The guards seemed to get a kick out of hitting him there. His head spun wildly. Sounds around him simply disappeared, and he couldn't make out the faces of Tyson, Dave and Max, who were watching in anguish in the crowd. Everything seemed to be slipping away from him, when . . . 

"And if you bleed, savour the pain, because it shows they haven't defeated you!"

Kai's eyes snapped open, and he looked into the crowd to see Dave was yelling to him. He recognised the words as what he had said to Luna in her moment of despair, and his soul hardened. He managed a wonky smile at his friends in the crowd. 

Another whack to the face wiped the smile away. The angry officer seemed quite satisfied with what he had done, despite the fact that Kai had not uttered a single noise during his torture and punishment. He nodded to his lackeys, who dropped the boards and undid the bonds around Kai's torso. He slumped forward once they were removed, barely conscious, but was held upright by the bonds at his wrists. They were cut next and he fell forward, hitting the wet ground heavily and closing his eyes, feeling that to move was to die in agony. 

Tyson, Dave and Max stayed still for a moment, wondering what the guard would do now. The man – who was very thin with a mean, unshaven face (just like most of the BIOVOLT guards), turned to the gathered group. 

"This lot laughed when the Merry-Go-Round-Kid decided to throw a punch. Take 'em to the chambers."

Max's eyes widened in horror and he gasped in fear. He and Dave hadn't even been there when all this had happened! He looked wildly at Tyson and Dave, who both looked terrified, knowing that the gas chambers were a mere minute's walk away. 

The two guards who ran like chickens began to round up the screaming prisoners and move them towards the chamber. Tyson avoided the guards and ran over to Kai, who laid still, his eyes closed, on the muddy ground. 

"Kai? Can you . . . hear me?" asked Tyson in a weak, hoarse voice, his eyes full of tears. Kai snapped open one of his eyes, which was a little misted over, and offered Tyson a wonky grin. Tyson laughed. 

"I'll take that as a yes, huh?" His voice broke a little and he fought to stifle a sob. This was so wrong, so inhumane. Kai smiled further, and then looked at Max, who was leaning over Tyson's back, peering down in horror. 

"So . . . Max," Kai whispered, unable to find his voice, "How d'you . . . like war now?"  

Max shook his head, appalled, sick to the stomach. "I . . . I . . ."

The words escaped him and he looked back to where the guards were approaching them. One of them grabbed Max and Dave and hauled them roughly to their feet, and then Tyson was pulled up too. 

"Do we take this one?" asked one of the guards, referring to Kai. The other nodded.

"He ain't dead yet. He'll scream in the chambers – until he can't scream no more, anyway."

The guards chuckled, and Tyson, listening behind them, shook his head in utter revulsion as they lifted Kai up. One took his battered legs and the other took his waist, and together they carried him to the gas chambers where the other prisoners were collecting, all of them wailing for mercy and pleading with the guards. Some had fallen onto their knees in prayer. Tyson managed to stay right beside Kai, although his mind was now beginning to cloud with the worry of what was to come. He had never thought about facing death before. It was a huge prospect. 

"Dave?" stuttered Max to the taller boy beside him, who looked very frightened indeed, "It was nice knowing you, man."

"You too, little dude. Be happy."

"Tyson?"

"Yeah, Max?"

"You were the best buddy a guy could ever have."

"Thanks, Max," answered Tyson, his eyes filling even more. His stomach was crowded with fluttering moths, banging against the lining of his body and begging to be released in their fear. Tyson swallowed as Max spoke to Kai – who probably couldn't hear by now. His eyes had fallen shut.

"Kai, just to let you know you were a great Captain and a good friend," Max murmured, his voice beginning to fail him in his fear. The group of them were ushered forwards through a great set of double doors in the grey barrack, and found themselves in a dressing room. 

"Don't bother to strip or shower them," came a voice over an intercom somewhere, "Just get them in there. I want them all dead."

Tyson took a deep breath, and another then to calm himself. They were marched forwards, through the dressing room with its plain white tiles and stone, cold floor into another room, with big metal doors with plastic, transparent panels in them. The room was large, with no windows or doors except the entrance. It was sealed – with the exception of two holes placed high in the white roof. Max looked around, his heart thudding uncontrollably. Dave merely leaned against a wall, attempting to ready himself for what was next. Tyson was ushered in and looked around, his eyes catching the holes in the ceiling and his head spinning violently. 

_"I never imagined dying like this," _he thought sadly, dizzily. He watched as the two guards threw Kai into the room carelessly, and then slammed the doors shut. There was the noise of a bolt sliding into place outside, and then a deadly hush. 

Tyson knelt next to Kai, who had both eyes open and seemed to know what was going on. He was muttering something to himself as he lay on the cold floor, and, as Tyson kneeled next to him, he heard:

_"Dulce et decorum est mori pro patria."_

Tyson looked down at him. "What was that?" he whispered. He leaned down a little further as Kai answered:

"'It is sweet and proper to die for one's country'. It's Latin."

Tears leaked out of Tyson's eyes, and he heard the 'clink' of two gas canisters hitting the tiled floor. He could hear the gas as it was released from the tiny canisters, and very quickly he could smell the acrid stuff as it entered into his body. He tried to breathe in tiny breaths, as if to avoid taking in the gas, which was slowly filling the room, but it seemed impossible to avoid taking huge gulps of the stuff in. 

Dave, opening his eyes for one last time, glanced over at the door, where two BIOVOLT officers were peering in, waiting for them to die so they could pilfer the bodies. Dave shuddered as more of the stuff went up his nose. It smelled foul. Nearby, Max shook his head, tried to hold his nose, and found he needed to breathe. 

Tyson glanced at the door sadly, knowing it was one of the last things he'd ever see. The people around him were screaming, some clutching their throats as the gas started to take effect and burn them. Tyson sunk to the floor, feeling weak, waiting to die, wondering. He took another look at Kai, who was still muttering the Latin to himself. He seemed to be at peace. Tyson looked to the door once again, hoping to find the same peace within his heart.

The guards he had seen a second ago at the plastic transparent door pane were gone, and Tyson wondered whether he was hallucinating. His throat had not yet begun to burn, and his head still felt clear. Distantly, he heard a metal clink with an echo, like the sound of a bolt sliding open, and, as if a miracle were being performed before his eyes, the door began to open, letting light into the dingy room.

Tyson gasped, and then coughed, his lungs suddenly burning. He wished he hadn't gasped fervently, but looked up again as the air cleared a little. At the door was a huge mass of silhouettes. He couldn't make out what it was. Nearby, Dave glanced in disbelief at the door, where stood the figures of soldiers, the uniform different to the dull black of the BIOVOLT soldiers. 

Max frowned. 

_"Is this Heaven?"_ he thought to himself, confused, as he watched the bright light and the figures moving into the room. He was suddenly shaken by a fit of coughing, attempting to get the fire up out of his chest, but to no avail. He felt extremely dizzy and was about to fall forwards when somebody caught him. He looked up but could not see who held him. 

After watching the room filling with the figures, Tyson looked back down at Kai, who placed a hand to his uncomfortable throat and coughed weakly with his eyes closed. 

"Kai . . . " he muttered weakly, trying to get his Captain's attention, "Kai, something's . . . happening . . . "

Tyson looked up at the figure standing over them. Whoever it was wore a khaki uniform and was wearing an oxygen mask. 

"Let's get you out of here,"

Tyson felt a surge of gravity as he was pulled to his feet by his arm, but could not stand alone. He rested on the unknown soldier and was removed from the room, bemused and dazed. An oxygen mask was instantly strapped over his mouth and he gulped in the air gratefully, allowing it to quench the fire within his blazing lungs. He closed his weary eyes, relishing in the moment, for a second not caring about anything else, not even who had rescued him. Then he snapped open his eyes again, his head a little clearer, and looked about. 

He was surrounded by Chinese soldiers. At least fifteen of them, all dressed smartly and cleanly in their lighter green khaki uniforms. One of them smiled down kindly at Tyson. 

"You're gonna be okay, friend. It's your lucky day,"

Tyson smiled at the man's halted Japanese. "Thank you."

The man nodded, his floppy black hair dangling in his eyes, and he moved away to the door of the gas chamber. Tyson looked over and to his relief saw that Kai had been brought out of the room and was breathing in fresh oxygen through a mask similar to his own. Next to him, Dave and Max sat on the floor, savouring the sweet taste of oxygen on the lips, and Tyson smiled. He moved his eyes back over to Kai as his head cleared some more, and saw the soldiers who had carried him out of the room stand up. 

Tyson frowned, and then squinted. He thought he was mistaken. But . . . 

The solider tending to Kai stood up and turned around, smiling. Tyson gasped as he saw the familiar black bangs hanging into a pair of bright amber eyes.

It was Rei.

******************************************************************************************************************************

Sherbet Mayhem: Oh my gosh, that was a long chapter. Seventeen pages on Word, I'll have you know. I'll just check the time on my little computer clock in the corner . . . WHAT?!?!?! 04:57 am? Oh my goodness! I should be dreaming about Kai right now! What? The weird part is, I'm wide-awake. Maybe I should start the next chapter . . . 

Rei: NO!!!

Sherbet Mayhem: Why not?

Rei: Because you can't even see straight! You just spelled 'straight' wrong and had to delete it, for crying out loud. You need sleep. 

Sherbet Mayhem: Okay, but not before I speak to the lovely readers. How did you like it? I don't actually know if I like it. I haven't read it through yet. *yawn* So anyways . . . PLEASE REVIEW!!! This took me like how long? Please, review me! Tell me I'm good! PLEASE!!! Or tell me I'm bad! I don't care! Just review! REVIEW!!!

There'll be a ton more Rei in the next chapter. A lot of people have asked for Rei to be in it. Like the way I made him the big hero guy? Urghh, when I was writing the part about Kai being tortured I felt really sick simply because it really did happen. I found it out on one of my History Disks I have at home. It was also known as 'Tree Bonding'. Sickos. Down with Nazism, eh? I hope I haven't offended anyone in the telling of this simple tale and so on. 

Erm, anything else before I can SLEEP??? Er . . . thanks again to those who reviewed last time, READ HIDDEN ADVERSARY!!! It honestly is good! I'm so desperate to sell off my own story here because it _deserves_ more than six flippin' reviews! It took me four bloomin' months! Yeesh! Erm . . . anything else? Aw, now it's 05:04 am! I need to sleep!

Just to say the Latin that Kai was speaking was actually the title of a poem by Wilfred Owen, one of the great war poets from World War One. How sad is this – he died exactly one week before the end of World War One!!! How unfortunate. Actually, it took me about half an hour to find the title of the poem. All I could remember was 'Dulce Et Decorum Est' which means 'It is Sweet and Proper'. I couldn't have him just saying that! So I tried Encarta for the poem but it didn't have it, and it didn't have it in my encyclopaedia. So I looked in a book called a miscellany which is just a pile of random facts packed into a book and it had 'for one's country' in it. So I guessed at the word for 'to die'. I think that's right though. I apologise if it isn't and I offend anybody who loves Wilfred Owen. 

Anyway, it's 05:08 am and I'm going to bed. See ya – oh, and REVIEW ME! If you have any ideas for plot, email me at reiko_hiwatari@hotmail.com. See ya'll later! Oh, and the yoghurt was scrummy!


	5. Schemes and Strategies

Sherbet Mayhem: Well, hello there! You came back for more? Good, 'cause that's exactly what you're all going to get! I'm glad everyone liked Chapter Four. Firstly, before we get the story going, I have a few thank yous to make out (I don't usually do this till the end of the story, so count yourselves . . . privileged! Lol)

Okay, there's one slight problem. My computer is acting up and it's only giving me your ID numbers, not your names! This should be good. These are all the reviews I had from Tuesday evening. If I missed you, it's because I got your review after Tuesday and haven't checked the net to see if your review! Don't be offended! I'm grateful for every review I get!

Right, User Number 379878 (I think it's Nicky!!! Hey if it's you!), thank you very much for your . . . incomplete review! Lol. Thank you for constantly reviewing my stuff and being there for me as a friend. I value every scrap of advice you give me and you're a fantastic e-buddy! DANKE SCHÖN!!! (Not French, German!). You're going to do – no, are already doing - brilliantly on this site! God bless, big kisses! 

Next, User Number . . . oh wait; I have your name on the screen! Yay! Mr Abraham Lincoln! I am honoured, sir that you would even look at my story, never mind review me! Actually, I was touched when you said my story was amazing, and it inspired me to write more, because no one ever used the word amazing before! Thank you so much!

User Number 350303 (oh this is beyond a joke! For crying out loud what are your names! *Bashes computer with computer-bashing-hammer that bey-girl-nicky gave her a very long time ago to stop her breaking the mouse*), I know the chapters are really long, but if they weren't so long you wouldn't have all the story up that you have now and it would take eleven thousand years to put it up, or it would have eighty-bloomin'-eight chapters or something! Lol, but thanks for saying that lovely stuff about me being one of your favourites out of so many. Merci (into French mode again!) Oh, and yes, the other teams are on their way. 

User Number 262153, oh dear! I'm not sure I should let you read anymore of my story if you can't breathe! Thank you, I get the point! It's lovely to see that my story is touching people emotionally like that. Even if it does almost kill them . . . lol! And you said amazing too! THANK YOU!!!

User Number 402470, I don't know if Kai liked Luna or not. I prefer to leave that unanswered, because that's one of the great things about Kai – we will never truly figure him out. Personally, I would like to believe that Kai did what he did out of sheer respect and emotion for Luna, because he had seen real promise in her eyes. Perhaps he could see something of himself in there. I don't know. But thank you for your pretty review! Yeah, I like sad stories too. What's the use in a story if it's all fun and no drama and action? We want torture; we want suspense, because that's what keeps us hanging on!

User Number . . . oh, I've got your name too! Alklachion – phew, that's a tough one to spell! Yes, I understand that cliff-hangers aren't the most comfy of positions, but I WILL KEEP YOU UNCOMFY BECAUSE I LOVE CLIFF-HANGERS!!! They're my speciality! Glad you're reading and liking and so on!

User Number 390449, glad you're enjoying things! Thanks for taking the time to review!

User Number 404711, Kai is my favourite character too (can't you tell?)!!! Rei follows him, and then probably someone like Lee from the Tigers of maybe Max. Thanks for reviewing!

Otherworlder (I know your name off by heart! Lol!) Thank you for your in-depth reviews and the information about the Chinese army and stuff that you have sent me! I'll say more in the emails I send you (lol) but it's wonderful to see somebody really reading a story thoroughly and coming up with perfectly knowledgeable questions about it! Shows you're paying attention! So yeah, thank you for being so honest and direct! Keep up the good reviewing!

User Number 437897 – are you Nicky and Dudems? HELLO if you are!!! This is so ridiculous, I'm guessing at people! Anyways, thank you for reviewing – and your joint story kicks ass! Go READ IT EVERYBODY!!! Find Nicky and Dudems – I'd tell you their name but I can't find it, but there's the User ID – oh, wait, read chapter five of_ this_ story first! Then read theirs! Oh wait, I just scrolled down and discovered that yes, this is Nicky and 

Dudems. I am so dense sometimes! I am turning into a cheesecake!

Well, now that all the formalities are over with, let's get down to business. The time now is . . . 23:22. Quite early for me! Let's see, what do I own nothing of Beyblade. . . um . . . a dovetail saw, a piece of cheese, a purple plastic protractor (which sadly got chipped today), a tube of toothpaste, a strawberry yoghurt pot (lol, that tasted good) and today I discovered . . . A SHOEHORN!!! The usefulness! Maybe I should just throw this stuff away – nah, there'll be a prize for the person who can remember all of this stuff in order by the end of this story! _Without_ looking back at previous chapters!

Let's get on with it! Enjoy, oh, and don't forget to REVIEW!!!

******************************************************************************************************************************

Chapter Five: Schemes and Strategies

When Kai Hiwatari, Captain of the last standing Japanese squadron awoke, it was light outside. The rainy weather seemed to have cleared up, at that wet; grassy smell that signified that rain had once been was also gone. It had been some time since it had rained.

The window to the room was open, allowing the scent of the outside world to wander in when it wished. The room was pretty quiet, the only sounds being those that swept in through the window of occasional birds chirping as they flew past. The room itself was painted dull white, so it didn't hurt the eyes. It was square and quite large, with shiny tiles on the floor and a dresser nearby. 

Kai found himself lying in a comfortable bed. His head rested on two or three pillows, and he wondered if he was dreaming. The last bed he remembered being in was hard with no sheets, covers or pillows to warm his freezing body. He pinched himself gently; clichéd as it sounds, and was assured that he was most definitely awake. 

Kai found his voice. He was alone, in an alien place and could barely remember a thing that had happened. Pulling himself up and resting on his elbows, shaking a few bangs of silver-grey hair out of his eyes, he called out, seeing that the oak door was just ajar. 

"Hello?"

He caught the padding of footsteps and then the door swung open. In the doorway stood the one and only Rei Kon, beaming in his light green khaki uniform, the star emblem on his hat glinting in the sunshine that entered through the window.

"You're awake, Kai?"

Puzzled yet extremely relieved, Kai smiled. "Um . . . yeah. It's been a while, Rei."

Looking entirely professionally in his uniform, Rei grinned happily, his ochre eyes beaming. "So it has, Kai. How are you feeling?"

"Okay, but I'm not sure what happened."

Rei's smile faded a little, and he pulled up a brown chair from near the cabinet. Easy going and optimistic, Rei Kon had worked his way up swiftly to the position of Second Lieutenant in the ranks of his troop of the Chinese Army. Highly trained in the Martial Arts, Rei was a character to be valued as a comrade or feared as an enemy. As he turned the seat backwards and sat with his legs apart, facing the back of the seat, Kai smiled a little as he spotted the badge on Rei's uniform.

"Second Lieutenant. I'm impressed. Who's your Lieutenant?"

Rei looked up and then answered. "I'm under the command of a man called Lieutenant Hing. You don't wanna meet him – he's a real jerk."

Kai laughed. "Enemies on your own side, Rei? How d'you hope to win?"

A pause from Rei and a flash of his mischievous grin forced Kai to repeat his question.

"How _do_ you hope to win, Rei? Got something planned?"

"You'll see!" grinned Rei, rather secretively, "For now, I need to fill you in on some stuff."

Kai held up a hand, noticing how it was not scratched, bruised or marred in any way. "Some of it's already come back to me. Tokyo Square, Tyson's Dragoon rising, HQ burning, and Balkov Labour Camp."

"Remember Luna?" asked Rei helpfully, trying to jog Kai's memory. Little did Kai know that he had been in hospital for three days, unconscious, as the world continued to pass by steadily. 

Kai's face darkened, and something gleamed in his deep brown eyes that startled Rei and almost made him want to take a step back. "How could I forget?"

He looked down for a second at the white linen that covered his body, and then glanced back up at Rei, the dangerous look gone from his eyes. "Yeah, I remember Luna. I also remember Merry-Go-Round, as they called it. I take it that's why I'm in here?"

Looking down at Kai's legs, which were still under the bed sheets, Rei nodded. "Yep. You were beaten up pretty bad when we brought you in."

"What happened?" asked Kai a little curiously. It was strange how well Kai and Rei got on. When they had first met, Kai had shown little interest, and Rei, thinking his friendship was not needed, had not seen any reason to offer it. After the defeat of BIOVOLT at the World Beyblading Tournament in Moscow, Rei and Kai had suddenly tightened. They had learned things about each other that they would never have seen in a million years if they hadn't looked. They had become firm companions. 

Rei shook his head a little, his bangs of jet-black swaying in the gentle movement as he cleared his face of them. 

"It's kind of a long story."

"We have all day," responded Kai quickly, suddenly determined to know what had happened. Rei sighed. 

"Fine . . ."

*****************************************Flashback*************************************************************************

Rei had woken that night with an immense sense of misgiving, the dream of his friends facing Boris again and desperate for his assistance still fresh in his mind. His troop was due to fly to Japan in one week and see what was going on. The Japanese army had been annihilated beyond recognition, and he had heard nothing from his good friends Kenny, Max, Tyson or Kai. He was beginning to worry. 

The flight day was an anxious one. China was flying over a small number of Storm-Troopers – the more advanced of the troops who were able to exact more extreme manoeuvres and tactics – and the rest of the three and a half million strong army was being shipped over in three days time. Throughout the whole flight Rei fidgeted in discomfort, unable to shake the feeling that his friends were in the greatest of danger. He was also worried about the odds. If Japan, with its well-trained army of three million, had been flattened by the seemingly unstoppable BIOVOLT, what hope had the Chinese without the British to support them? Still, Rei tried to hope for the best, being an optimist and pushing the worries to the back of his mind. Still, even when Rei was as settled as he could be, he still felt a strange, anxious feeling running through his blood. His friends needed him, and somehow, he just knew it.

The plane landed at Tokyo Airport at twenty-two-hundred hours. At ten thirty, Rei, dressed as a civilian as was the whole of his troop to avoid detection by BIOVOLT, had set up camp in a designated area. BIOVOLT were less than likely to find them there. It was in an extremely dense forest, with trees as high as the eye could see and extremely thick. Tired, Rei had wondered about his friends a little more, and then fell asleep in his tent, clutching his radio to his ear in case there was an emergency report. 

There was.

At zero-seven-hundred hours the next day, Rei was jolted awake by the voice of his Lieutenant, Hing, screaming orders down the radio in a frantic attempt to wake his troop. Rei scrambled out of his tent, already dressed after falling asleep in his uniform, simply pulling on his hat to make himself look presentable. He faced Hing.

"We've found 'em," said Hing austerely. Rei blinked, still half asleep. 

"Found who, Sir? BIOVOLT headquarters, you got them at last?"

"No, you fool!" snarled Hing; "I don't know why you're my Second-In-Command sometimes."

Rei scratched his head, suppressing a yawn with much difficulty. Hing continued. 

"We've traced your friends. We picked up traces of their Bit-Beasts."

A physical jolt ran through Rei's body and he snapped to. "You found them? Are they safe?"

"That is what we are about to find out," snapped Hing grouchily, "Get the rest of the men together in fifteen minutes sharp. We have to get there on foot."

"Where are we going?"

Hing walked away without giving Rei a response.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

From seven twenty five to eleven thirty, Hing marched his men through Tokyo, skilfully avoiding the watchful eyes of BIOVOLT guards. Rei followed Hing with a severe sense of dread milling his slim stomach. What if something had happened? What if they were dead? They were his best friends. With his revolver pressed into a pouch in his rucksack, Rei's fingers itched. For some reason he was desperately on edge, and he barely spoke throughout the whole journey. 

Rei's old White Tiger teammate, Lee, was also part of this troop. The Chinese army had acted in a similar way to the Japanese and had placed Lee and Rei together on the basis that they knew each other well and so would, on those grounds, be able to work together extremely well as a team. The other of the White-Tigers' male members, Gary and Kevin, were still based in China with the regular rank and file. Mariah had stayed at home to look after the village, as females were not allowed to fight on the front line in the Chinese army. She saw no point in it anyway. Her place, she felt, was to hold the village together whilst the men were at war, and she had written to Rei frequently to find out how he was getting on. 

Lee spoke to Rei on several occasions on the five hour or so march, but Rei hardly ever responded with enthusiasm or interest. Worried, Lee had fallen silent himself, wondering what could have gotten his old friend so depressed. 

At eleven thirty, the group set up camp, and changed out of their civilian clothing into their correct uniform. A light shade of khaki green and greys provided excellent cover and camouflage, and the star emblem on their hats was the only sign that they were from the Chinese army. Of course, they would have looked out of place in a group of soldiers wearing the BIOVOLT black army uniform. Civilian disguise was an absolute necessity.

The men ate something, but Rei declined food. His stomach churned as Hing scouted the area. They were half way through climbing a steep hill, and had set up camp on the grassy ground. 

About ten minutes after he had left them, Lieutenant Hing returned, out of breath and looking scared of his wits. He found Rei's tent as quickly as possible and dove into it.

"Rei, it's a . . . they've got a . . ."

Rei held up his hands nervously. "Stop. Talk to me, Sir. What have they got?"

Hing took a deep breath to calm his racing nerves and then spoke quietly to Rei. "They've set up a labour camp! Like in Germany in World War Two!"

Rei's stomach turned, and a dreadful chill raced up his spine, like a demon lightly tiptoeing and tormenting his prey. He swallowed hard, blinking away the awful images that filled his head, and tried to concentrate.

"We'll infiltrate it. Free those in there. We can't stay and watch."

Lieutenant Hing nodded his affirmation, and the two crept out of the tent. Hing ordered his men together and debriefed them rapidly, while Rei took a pair of binoculars and began to walk up the steep slope of hill. He scaled it in three minutes flat, his feet moving faster than usually because of his nerves. Trembling with anxious expectation, Rei pressed the binoculars to his eyes and looked over the summit.

_"Oh no . . ."_  

His head shook without him knowing it, and Rei began to breathe faster and faster as his mind began to register with what was happening. Images from his dream suddenly flashed into his mind, blinding all other thought, and he ripped the binoculars away from his eyes only to see that his troop had finally joined him. Seventeen men stood grouped, ready to take on Balkov Labour Camp. 

Rei suddenly knew his friends were down there. He didn't understand how he knew. Just intuition or a hunch, a gut feeling. But down in his blood and at the bottom of his soul he could feel his friends' pain. Something was terrible wrong, and it was happening down there.

"Hing," he said quietly as his Lieutenant ordered his troop to march forwards, "I'm gonna use it now. Seems to make sense. It'll only help."

Hing stared at Rei, suddenly taken aback by the boy's self-conviction, and nodded, giving his consent. With a grim smile, Rei relinquished his Beyblade.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The two guards slammed the door shut, fixing the bolt in tight. Malevolent smiles notching each of their unshaven faces, they peered into the glass pane of the door and looked at the panicking assemblage of prisoners, soon about to die. The gas released would enter into their lungs, and, after about twenty seconds, would begin to burn them from the inside. As it reacted, it would give off carbon monoxide, which would enter into their bloodstreams and suffocate them anyway. There was no escape. 

"Nice work, boys," came the voice of their Officer. He already had a bruise on his face where one of the prisoners had the audacity to slug him. 

"The one who punched you, sir?" said one of the lackeys, turning from his view at the door. The Officer nodded.

"What about him? Insolent little-"

"He was Kai Hiwatari of the Japanese Storm Troopers, sir."

The Officer raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

He obviously didn't care who it was – he just wanted him and everyone else who had witnessed the scene to die – and painfully at that. The guard of lesser rank turned back to the panel and watched as the tiny grey gas canisters dropped from the ceiling and began to emit their poison. He smiled even further.

"I love this part."

The Officer, at this point, was bored. It wasn't his style to watch the deaths. Personally he didn't care how they died as long as they did. Sighing, a little uninterested, he turned away and walked out of the building. He stepped outside and breathed in the muddy, stifled air, thick with muggy rain. 

Screaming to his right grabbed his attention, and he wondered how the screams of the gas chamber could be heard so far away. It was then that he realised that it wasn't the people in the gas chamber he could hear, despite the fact that the gas would have been released by now. Gunfire told him that the Balkov Labour Camp was under attack.

Reaching for his pistol, the Officer sprang forward, ready to protect Boris in any way possible – and was halted by a glow of green from around the corner of the building. He brought himself to an abrupt stop and stared up, his lip trembling in fear and astonishment, at the mighty form of a White Tiger, standing as high as a house, its tail swishing in irritation and enshrouded in a green glow. The emerald luminosity beamed out and lit the entire camp it was so bright and intense. Atop it could barely be seen a solitary soldier, amber eyes glinting like that of his beast. As the Officer watched, this prodigious animal, which defied reason and belief, bent its head and allowed the soldier to scramble off it quickly. The solider couldn't have been more than sixteen, and he wore the uniform of the Chinese army.

The Officer cocked his pistol, still determined to take down the lad and protect his leader Boris, but the huge tiger strode towards him, sensing the threat and stretching its claws. Quailing, the Officer stepped backwards as the Chinese soldier called for backup on his radio. Almost instantly there was a flood of Chinese soldiers from around the corner where the tiger had emerged from. It was an awe-inspiring sight. As the mighty beast stepped forward further, the soldier who had ridden the tiger motioned his troop to follow him and he darted into the grey barrack, through a set of double doors and out of the Officer's sight.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Rei slammed through the double doors, his heart racing at a phenomenal rate. Upon entering the camp, which had been heavily guarded and two of his fellow soldiers had been taken down, Rei had spotted what was going on. It was the spitting image of Maidanek, identical to Buchenwald, and sickening, just as Auschwitz had been – all of them slave labour and death camps in the dark ages of World War Two. Rei had seen enough pictures and war movies to know what a death camp was. People all around him – their faces were gaunt, their eyes sunken and hollow. There was no life in these people. Cries for mercy and salvation echoed all around, and after scooping the green barracks in which people were forced to live in, Rei's golden eyes had fallen upon the one thing he had hoped not to see. Grey barracks.

_"I was drawn here,"_ he thought as he passed into the changing room, _"Something led me into here. Are . . . are my friends in the chamber?"_

Shaking his head in almost complete denial, Rei raced on, until he barged through another set of doors, followed by his men, at least fifteen of them, and found himself in a kind of hallway, leading up to the direct gas chamber. Two guards were peering through the translucent panel on the heavy door, which was sealed with a bolt. One of them giggled in pleasure.

Rei felt his face twist in disgust, and he leaped forwards, tackling one of the guards and throwing him to his men. The other guard was swiftly taken down and held, immobilised. With trembling hands and a thudding heart, Rei fiddled with the bolt on the door, attempting to slide it out as hurriedly as he could. His fingers shook with nerves. He did not know what to expect when he opened the door, but he knew that it would not be pleasant.

"Rei!" he heard a call from behind. He turned and found an oxygen mask being thrown at him.

"Don't wanna go in without that!" smiled Lee, who had thrown the mask, his face looking flushed and apprehensive. These were designed to last for brief periods of time, and contained a small pouch of oxygen in the corner that released once strapped on to the face. It would last seven or eight minutes – which was plenty of time to clear the room. Rei strapped on the mask swiftly and then returned to the bolt – finally sliding it open with a bang.  

"I hope my medics are ready!" he called as the bolt opened.

People in the room were still standing, and so Rei knew they still had time to save as many people as they could. Upon slamming the door open heavily, Rei leaped in and looked around. It was difficult to see much, because the gas in the air impended his vision, but Rei had extremely sharp eyes and immediately caught sight of Max, coughing heavily. Crying out within his mask, Rei waved his hand frantically, and one of his men jumped over and caught Max as he fell over. 

Rei looked around the room in horror. His men had filed in and were removing people quickly, some prisoners having to be carried, others merely just assisted in walking out. Most were coughing and grasping at their throats; expressions of fear and torture were written on every face. Shaking his head again, the scene making him feel physically ill, Rei took another look around. 

To his left, he caught sight a familiar face, and, squinting closer, he saw that it was Tyson. He was kneeling, and looking around in dizzy wonder at what was happening. As Tyson focused on Rei without recognition, Rei watched him bend down and whisper something to somebody who was lying on the floor. 

Rei gasped. 

"Men, get over here!" he yelled frenetically, already feeling overcome. Lee, hearing the near hysteria in Rei's tight voice, ran over and immediately pulled Tyson to his feet, muttering a few comforting words in the process. Rei knelt next to the shaking form of Kai, who had his eyes tightly shut. Rei didn't know whether that was with pain or fear. Blood surrounded the boy, having smeared onto the walls when he had been thrown in. 

As Kai coughed weakly, Rei looked around, searching for a soldier to held him lift Kai. He couldn't lift somebody so injured on his own – it was a two-man operation. However, all the other Chinese soldiers were busy helping people out of the room. Panicking as Kai's coughing grew hoarser and somehow more tight, Rei grabbed the elastic at the back of his head and pulled off his oxygen mask, strapping it gently around Kai's head and attempting to avoid touching any of the wounds on the boy's pale face. 

Immediately, the smell of the gas entered Rei's nostrils, and he almost retched. It was nauseating, and he could instantly feel it reacting in his throat and chest. Hurriedly, before it could have any serious effect on him, Rei stood and waved over a free soldier from his troop. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Kai was breathing in the oxygen fro his own mask, and, ignoring the cry of outrage that Rei was not wearing his mask from the other soldier, he grabbed Kai gingerly from under the arms. The other soldier grabbed his legs as gently as possible, and the two carried him hastily out of the room. 

Rei laid Kai on the floor, and surveyed the boy. His stomach lurched as an oxygen mask was strapped about his head by Lee. 

"I doubt he'll make it," came the voice of his friend, and Rei nodded, hating to agree but forcing himself to face the truth of facts. He was never one for trying to kid himself or others. 

"We'll do our best," he said, his own voice sounding hoarse. Emotion welled up inside him. He had known for so long that something was amiss with his friends, and now he felt guilty for waiting for so long before arriving. He could have saved his friends so much pain and suffering.

"Wait just a second, Rei!"

*****************************************End Flashback******************************************************************

"Wait just a second, Rei!"

Rei paused at Kai's sudden interuption. He had been intensely quite through Rei's little flashback, showing a mixture of emotions as he had listened. He had frowned at the mention of the cruel, inhumane guards, and his face had fallen strangely serious when Rei had recalled giving him his oxygen mask. 

"What is it, Kai?"

Kai stared at Rei, almost disbelieving. "You're saying you felt guilty? After you got us out of there, saved all of our lives _and_ risked your own? And you feel _guilty_?"

Rei blinked back, and then he looked away, breaking Kai's incredulous glare and his own face falling. 

"I should have been there sooner. I could have saved you the chamber, the Merry-Go-Round, Luna, everything."

Kai waited for a second so Rei could finish speaking, and Rei looked up at his silence, he spoke very quietly to emphasise how very serious he was.

"I salute you, Rei, _summa cum laude._"

Rei squinted for a second, played the words back over in his head, and then spoke.

"No, I don't get it. What did you just say?"

"I salute you with highest praise," answered Kai with a smile.

Rei blinked again, stunned. Whilst he was still speechless, Kai continued. 

"For one thing, I'm glad I met Luna. She may have died, but I still hold her memory close. Secondly, you have nothing to feel sorry about. I don't know how I can stress the importance of what you did and what it means to us, Rei. But you getting there when you did made a huge difference – the difference between you opening the door when you did and difference between you opening the door a minute later. Do you see? What you did made an incredible difference to our lives – mine, and Tyson's, I'm sure, and Max's, and Dave's, and all of the other people in there. You _saved us_, there's no doubt of it. You have my respect."

Rei had merely stared at Kai as he had spoken, and something deep within had moved in Re's heart. This was true friendship, and the density of him arriving when he did sank in. He offered Kai a wonky smile, still not feeling one hundred percent right but feeling a whole lot better.

"Thanks."

"Besides," said Kai, "_cui bono?"_

Another empty stare from Rei made Kai laugh. "Sorry. It means 'who stands to gain?' What can you possibly gain from worrying about the fact when you weren't there earlier? The fact of the matter is: you got there. You saved us."

It was Rei's turn to laugh. "What's with all the Latin, Monsieur Multi-Lingual?"

Looking a little tired already, Kai moved from leaning on his elbows to lying down, his bandaged head feeling much better once he had laid it on the soft pillow. 

"_Ars longa, vita brevis._ Art is long, life is short. I class language as a fine art. When I get out of this hellhole and go back home, I'd maybe like to get a job as a translator or something. You know, something normal? My life has been anything but normal, and I'm tired of being part of the action. A translator sounds pretty lame, I know, but . . . for once, I want to just . . . be able to live like a usual person." 

Rei's face sobered, and he felt a small stirring of pity for Kai. He now realised that more than anything, deep down Kai longed acceptance and normality. He wanted a life that was different to his own; wanted to take himself away from himself. 

"That's cool," he answered, standing up as Kai closed his eyes. "I'll come back later and fill you in with some more details. You look tired."

Kai snapped his eyes open. "Wait! Tell me . . . what were you talking about earlier? How are you going to . . . win?"

Rei sighed. "Fine, but only quickly. You look exhausted already."

Kai nodded, giving in to Rei's demands, and Rei sat back down again, removing his hat and running his hands through his floppy hair before replacing it. Kai smiled when he saw that Rei's traditional red bandanna was still in place under his hat, hidden from view. 

"Well, Kai, do you even know where we are?"

Kai was about to answer, but then stopped, realising that he didn't know where he was at all. It hadn't occurred to him to even ask. "Good point."

"We're in Japan."

Kai started, and gave Rei a puzzled look. His mind was already whirring. "How can we still be in Japan and not have been discovered by BIOVOLT?"

Rei smiled. "Because we're where they'd never think to look. We're on top of a mountain."

Kai's bemused look seemed to grow, and Rei laughed. "Would they ever think of looking on Mount Fujiyama? Come on. You have to admit it's good."

Kai nodded, and then rethought it. "Yeah – if you like it cold, that is! How can you get supplies up here?"

Rei sighed, waving a hand. "You don't need to worry about that. We're still in Japan, and BIOVOLT don't know it. We also have a Mole working for BIOVOLT. That Mole will arrive tomorrow and give us all of the information we need. We have already been given information that BIOVOLT wants to move straight to China after the whole Balkov Labour Camp incident. Intelligence reports that old Boris wasn't too pleased – and neither was your happy chappie grandfather. They're pretty annoyed that the Chinese rescued everybody and stuff."

Kai chuckled. "Now how come _that_ doesn't surprise me?"

Rei smiled and then carried on, lowering his voice, partially for effect and partially in case there were any moles in their own camp (a mole being an undercover person – a kind of spy who blends in with the enemy and then reports back). 

"When the Mole comes back, we will have the location of the BIOVOLT Main HQ. We're going to take it down – internally."

Kai scoffed, the whole thing already sounding preposterously impossible. "Yeah, okay. We'll sneak in, fifteen of our best guys, and – uh, oops, tripped an alarm! Yeesh, Rei, imagine the security! Plus, how are we gonna distract the rest of the freakin' army? It's absurd!"

Rei smiled, nodding as Kai let off a little steam. "We know that BIOVOLT leave for China in exactly one month and four days. And we have received notice from Britain that she will be able to send – in exactly one month's time - not only the Expeditionary Force – which is their version of Storm Troopers but twice as many as usual – plus a standing army of three million. China will send her army of three-and-a-half, and the two will be able to stand against BIOVOLT's standing army of six million."

"That doesn't explain how we-"

"Britain and China," continued Rei, "will drop their men in from the air. It's a huge task – involving one heck of a lot of planes and parachutes, not to mention safety training. Thank Britain for that. She has one of the strongest air forces in the entire world. Once the RAF has dropped off the soldiers, they will immediately surround Tokyo – which is now completely taken over by BIOVOLT. BIOVOLT will not have had much time to prepare – simply because of the advantage of surprise that our forces will have. Every soldier that BIOVOLT has to spare will _have_ to get to Tokyo if they intend to keep it in their possession. It'll be all out, Kai. It's gonna be massive."

Kai nodded, things beginning to make sense. "Still, Rei, what about-"

"I know, the infiltrating HQ part. Well, apparently, this Mole is also an expertise computer genius type. Like . . . like Kenny. The Mole says its possible to disable the majority of security of the BIOVOLT Main HQ from the central computer system that we have here. The Mole will also go with the squad sent to permeate HQ and will disable manually as many traps and alarms as possible. Then the squad – obviously Storm Troopers or better – will enter and begin to shut down BIOVOLT computer systems – not to mention downloading the files and so on that they need to survive. Rumour has it that Voltaire and Boris Balkov are hiding out there. They will also be removed. It's kind of like when Hitler died, leaving the German army without a leader. They didn't a clue, because their crazy, inspirational principal was gone. Hopefully, once Voltaire and Boris are off the scene, the BIOVOLT army will lose its vicious motivation."

There was a pause. 

"Plus, we'll mess up their equipment so much that their radios won't work. Laser sights on their rifles won't work. Tanks will run haywire. If they have any aircraft at all, they will be ruined. If we can get into the heart of their HQ, we can win this."

Rei finished, and Kai took another moment to take it all in. It was pretty damn good. The plan seemed solid enough – very risky, and relying on a lot of things to be in practise for it to work – but if the circumstances were right then it would be a complete success. 

"It's risky, but it's worth a shot. You know I'm starting to wonder what the point of it all is. All this death for our troops to flip a couple of switches." replied Kai as he processed it all, searching for mistakes, yet feeling deep in his soul that what they were doing was incredibly wrong 

"_Pro amor patriae," _said Rei quickly, and Kai glanced at him, startled. 

"For love of one's country."

"Et veritas, dignitatium, et pax."

Kai listened for a second, impressed that Rei knew just a little Latin, and then smiled. "And truth, dignity, and peace. You made your point."

"We had a deal. You rest now, and I'll speak to you in more detail later. Okay?"

Kai nodded in between a yawn. "Oh, wait, one more question – how are the others?"

"You mean Tyson, Max and Dave?" clarified Rei. Kai nodded. 

"They're fine," Rei smiled reassuringly, "I think they're at the dinner table or something! Which reminds me; if you're hungry, just ask. We'll fix you up something no problem."

Kai nodded faintly, tiredness creeping up on him faster than expected now he was relieved about the other's situations. He closed his eyes as Rei began to shut the door very quietly.

"Oh, and you know how you were saying you wanted to be 'normal', Kai?"

Kai opened an eye and looked over sleepily. "Yeah?"

"Define 'normal' for me."

Rei closed the door as Kai fell asleep, and turned about in the pale lemon hallway. He was met by three anxious faces – three familiar, friendly faces. 

"How is he?"

Rei smiled at Tyson, Max and Dave. "He's fine.  He asked about you guys."

Max jumped on Tyson. "YES!!! I knew it!"

Dave burst into an ecstatic grin and leaned against a wall. "That's a relief. Can't wait to speak to him again."

Tyson merely jumped up and down with Max. "All right! Undefeated we remain!"

Rei rolled his eyes, inwardly grinning at his friends' enthusiasm. It would be a while before Kai knew how close he had come to death in those three days when he had been unaware of the clouds ambling by or the wind swaying in the trees. 

Rei began to walk away, knowing he had many jobs to do – not like Tyson, Dave or Max didn't. They were just slackers. But he stopped at a question from Tyson.

"When did you say that the Mole would get here?"

Rei smiled at the way Tyson emphasised the words "The Mole". He sounded ridiculous.

"Jenny arrives tomorrow."

Tyson felt his jaw drop, and he tried to keep his exclamation as quiet as possible due to the fact that Kai was sleeping not far away. 

"THE MOLE'S A GIRL???"

_For he who grew up tall and proud,_

_In the shadow of a mushroom cloud._

_Rich town voices can't be heard,_

_We just wanna scream it louder and louder and louder…_

_What the hell we fightin' for?_

******************************************************************************************************************************

Sherbet Mayhem: I am SO SORRY! That chapter majorly sucked. I mean, the plot was a disgrace to plots! Ok, so the part about Rei's view was cool 'cause – well, it was Rei, how couldn't it be cool? – but what's with all the Latin? I can't help putting it in – even though I don't speak a word of Latin! Ooo, it's one of those annoying chapters that has to go in to explain stuff, but it's completely action-less and stuff and boring to be honest! I tried to vamp it up with the Rei flashback and even that didn't work! URGHH! I AM SORRY!!! 

FLAME ME!!! I DESERVE IT! I'm completely serious – I'm really sorry! Chapter six will be so much more interesting!

Oh, the lyrics were _Queen – Hammer to Fall_. I love Queen – they're one of my favourite bands of ALL TIME!!! 

For those who are interested, it's a whole 03:25 am. Maybe that's why I seem just a _tad_ grumpy. 

Max: You're writing is fine! Why do you say it sucked! I thought it was okay!

Sherbet Mayhem: Shut up you turtle, what would you know about English Literature? Or English Language? I just got an A+ in both in my major exams and so I SHOULD KNOW IF MY WRITING'S CRAP AND IT BLOOMIN' WELL IS YOU FREAKIN' TURTLE HEAD!!! GO EAT SOME FRICKIN' SHRIMP YOU AMPHIBIAN!!!

Max: *backs off, terrified* I think I'd rather go back to the war. See ya!

Sherbet Mayhem: On the other hand, REVIEW!!!!!!!! (I promise chapter six will be better – please don't stop reading this story! PLEASE!!!)

SMOOCHES (despite the fact that they are angry smooches)


	6. Sui Generis

Sherbet Mayhem: Hey, guys, it's me! HIIIIYYYYAAAAAA! Well, first of all, I'd like to say a big huge ENORMOUS thank you to everybody. Last chapter I was really down and wasn't impressed with my material, but now you guys have spoken to me, I feel ready and willing to write, Write, WRITE! ! ! You got me back up from a bit of a slump, and so I guess I owe you a lot of thanks. Merci buckets, as I always say. For everyone who was honest and frank with me, and even to Oil Pastel, who called me a Dutch Hater (see Austin Powers in Goldmember [which, incidentally, I do not own] and yes, I know who she is. She's one of my bestest buddies! We're CRAZY together. Oh, if you like Pirates of the Caribbean, check out her story, called Jack's Treasure. I'm kinda helping her both write _and_ advertise it, so enjoy!), I say a big ARIGATO – and that's about the extent of my Japanese. Although I can count to ten and say the words 'water', 'hello', 'good evening', 'yeah', 'deeper' 'nice catch', 'game over' and . . . er . . . 'Battle Royale'. I know gomen nasi (is that right?) . . . but *cough* I don't know what it means! Lol. 

Honest Abe - I'm so pleased that you're doing a story – it's great that my own story is inspiring you! I can't wait to read it and be AMAZED (just thought I'd throw in the 'a' word . . . lol) Bonne chance! Oui, Oui! Also, are you a boy? It's just that I don't ever think I've spoken to a lad on this site! Your name kind of gives the impression that you may be un garcon (or un homme, if you're all grown up!) and I was just wondering. If you're une femme, then I am going to officially open a boy search. For a guy who writes on the Beyblade section of this site! I know, like, none! 

Otherworlder – You know, I have no idea how long this fic will be. A good few chapters to go yet. Why? Getting bored of me already? :P

Janine - Your accent is terrible because you can't roll your 'r's, and hey, you might hate us Scousers and our icky accents, but guess what? LIVE WITH IT, you wannabe posh accent girlie! Just 'coz your "Higher" Beb accent is slightly more posh than ours doesn't mean you can boss me about, you man whore! HOME WRECKER!!! Urghh, don't make me get my water gun! (Bangor, remember? Lol!) Nah, I appreciate the proofs you do. "Ta chuck!" Hee, hee! Ring me when you read this you geg. We can geg all night, just geggin' in our rooms, geggin' away on the phones just like we gogged in Bangor! LMAO!!! (hun, I know you don't do computer language. That's 'laughing my ass off'. See, look how much I care!) Oh, and guess who's back in town?!? KAI'S BACK IN TOWN!!! Oh yeah, Kai, Kai, chicken bone! Oh, yeah, Kai in a kid's meal!! That jumper _really_ was awful, but, in the boarding school's defence (how could they send Kai to a bloomin' boarding school?!?) that blazer made his bum look absolutely GORGEOUS!!! Mmm, it stuck out just a tad! And he SLEPT through his lessons! And he listened to his music, and broke a window with a poorly animated roundhouse kick, and he landed on a pile of crate boxy things, and LAUGHED THAT MANIC LAUGH WE LOVE SO MUCH!!! Mmm, I'm smiling as I type! KAI, KAI, KAI, KAI! Calming down now. That has to be the biggest note I ever wrote anybody!

Everyone else – I don't remember what your names are and I can't get on right now to check – just so you know I don't have internet access at home. I go to the nearby library to use it once every couple of days, so that's why I am sometimes slow to contact, update and so on. Apologies for my parent's fear of technology. Hmm – well, maybe 'The Mole' will be able to help me. She is entering this story soon, huh. I wonder which real life character I based her on?!?! Hmm, it's a tough one. o_0

Well, better stop jabbering on. The time, for all those who are counting how many hours I spend on this story (er, like any of you _would_!) is 23:54 pm. That's five to midnight. This should be FUN!!! :D 

As for my meagre yet slowly amassing collection, I have, in order of when first possessed:

A dovetail saw, a piece of cheese (mouldy by now of course since I don't yet own a fridge – wanna donate one, anybody?), a purple plastic protractor which broke a bit 'cause I chewed on it, a tube of toothpaste (mintyfresh!), er, a strawberry yoghurt pot (which is also beginning to go a bit minging), a shoehorn – which was new until I chewed on it, and, finally . . . A TOASTY MAKER!!! Oh yeah, now I can toast my . . . er . . . I can make protractor and toothpaste sandwiches. Or I could write chapter six of War. You decide ;) 

DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!!!!!!!! AND THANKS AGAIN!!!!! 

Oh, and I'm very sorry for the late update. I've just got back from Bangor University from a two day school trip – ooh, team building skills, YAY!!! Er, or not. Actually, it wasn't bad at all! All I have to say is that my friend saw a sheep and a cow 'getting jiggy' on one particular hillside, and we spent the majority of our hours wondering whether the baby would be a 'cheep' or a 'show', oh, and whether it would say 'mooooaaaaa!' Yes, entirely educational, I'll have you know. And we're sixteen! Honestly! So it's a late update – it may even be Saturday by now (it's Friday evening here), and I'll have the next chapter up very soon! Merci!

Enjoy! 

******************************************************************************************************************************   

Chapter Six: _Sui Generis_

She never sat down. Kai saw very little of her, but what he did see allowed him to notice how active she was. Always on her feet, running up and down corridors, screaming the names of random computer files like a banshee and wailing that there wasn't enough brown sauce in the food storage cupboard. 

The Mole had arrived.

*****************************************Flashback*************************************************************************

Tyson was in a bad mood. Dave and Max had just gotten angry with him for saying that the cheesecake didn't taste too good.

So what?" he had replied in his own defence, "It's awful!"

"Yeah, but it's all we have!" snapped Dave, "And the Chinese soldiers risked their butts for this stuff! So don't complain!"

Tyson folded his arms and pushed his plate away – before pulling it back to himself and eating some more. The cheesecake obviously wasn't so bad after all – when the other option was to go completely without. 

"What time's it?" asked Max, with a mouthful of the stuff. Tyson glanced at his watch and then scratched his nose.

"Three-thirty. Why?"

Dave swallowed his final piece of _hideous_ cheesecake and gulped down some water before answering, "The Mole should be here soon."

Tyson's eyebrows instantly rose. "Can't believe it's a _girl_'."  
  


"What's wrong with that?" asked Rei as he sat down with a tray of food – well, mostly cheesecake. In fact, entirely cheesecake. His men had raided a cheesecake factory. The boys were currently feasting in the canteen tent – basically a tent slightly bigger than the others in which food was served to about ten people at a time. A small table had been set up. It had been difficult to set up tents any bigger than this simply because the land on the mountaintop was so uneven and rocky. The camp consisted of a grouping of about fifteen tents. It was possible to set up rooms in some of the tents by placing walls up, but there was one building amongst the whole camp. They had stumbled upon an old hut, consisting of two corridors and about six rooms. It had instantly been converted into the medical ward – it made sense, as it was the warmest and cleanest place available. 

"Oh, hey Rei," grinned Max as Rei watched Tyson poignantly. 

"Well? What _is_ wrong with The Mole being a girl, Tyson?" he prompted. He wasn't one for inequality. 

"Well, nothing's _wrong_ with it, Rei," stammered Tyson a little nervously, twiddling with his cap, "It's just a little unorthodox."

Rei laughed. "Unorthodox? Oh, just wait till you meet her. Then you'll know what unorthodox is!"

As Rei began to tuck in to his cheesecake (pulling a bit of a face but saying nothing), Lee poked his head through the zipper entrance to the tent. 

"Hey Rei!" he yelled, waving a hand, "She's here!"

Rei chewed his mouthful of cheesecake and swallowed it down with a swift gulp, and then pushed the rest of the tray towards Tyson. "Enjoy, guys. I'm off to see The Mole. We have business to discuss!"

Rei stood, brushing a few crumbs off his uniform as he did so and straightening his hat. Tyson shook his head.

"Wait, we wanna come too!"

Max echoed this, surprisingly. Since they had arrived at the Chinese camp, Max had kept to himself a lot more than usual. He was still a bubbly person with a bright nature – but wasn't so willing to talk to people as before. 

"Yeah, Rei, can we meet The Mole? She sounds scary!"

Rei shook his head. "No. You can wait until later. We have important things to discuss."

He looked over at Dave, who was pouring himself another glass of water. "However, Dave – you can come with me."

Dave looked up, obviously taken aback and startled, and he put down the water glass. "Okay."

He stood up, brushing himself neatly as Rei had done. Dave and Rei had gotten on immensely – which had been expected. They were a little alike – Dave probably being more humorous but Rei being more reliable – and the two had gotten on well from the moment they had been introduced. 

"Why does _he_ get to go?" growled Tyson, poking the cake Rei had pushed over with a fork. Max sighed. 

"It's all right, Tyson. We'll meet The Mole later. Be cool."

With a nod, Tyson complied and calmed his temper – which had often gotten him into serious trouble in the past. Meanwhile, Rei and Dave made followed Lee out of the deep green tent into the mountainous air outside. The weather had not been at its best. An uncomfortable wind blew through all of the tents and through the medical ward. It had snowed a couple of nights recently, but nothing too much. Still, it wasn't nice to have to sleep with the shivers. 

Rei and Dave tracked Lee to the medical ward. The Mole would probably be getting checked over even if she hadn't been injured at all. That was the way things worked. Lee held open the door politely and Rei went through, followed by a hesitant Dave, into the first corridor of the medical ward. It was pale lemon, a nice, relaxing colour, and Dave relaxed as he followed Rei, who seemed enthusiastic.

"Hey Rei?"

A voice came from one of the rooms that led off from the lemon corridor, and Rei stopped and stepped backwards a few paces to see Kai sitting up in bed, his hand wrapped around his Beyblade Dranzer, which had been rescued by the Chinese army in the raid on Boris' Labour Camp.

"What's going on?"

Rei smiled. "Hey buddy. The Mole's finally arrived, so I'm off to speak with her. How'd your op go?"

Kai nodded – that morning he had undergone multiple operations to repair broken bones – twelve in all – and to close any open wounds he had – seventeen in all. Finally his injured knee (the one with the bullet wound) had been tended to. He was in plaster from the waist down, but this couldn't be seen due to the bed covers. Kai was just glad he hadn't been awake this time around. He had been in surgery for six hours, and was still feeling a little tired from it all. He had been told that the Chinese doctors had used specific positions when placing the splints in his legs to hold his bones in the correct place, and healing would not take as long. In fact, he had been told that he would be able to walk in about a month and a half. The bones in his waist would take a little longer to heal, as his pelvis had taken serious damage, but there was no enduring impairment. 

"Fine. Where is she?"

He was interested in this Mole person. She must be smart to be able to go undercover like that and avoid detection – not to mention that Rei had told him that she was a computer whiz. Looked promising. Kai could just imagine this serious, stolid woman, with a monocle like Mr Dickinson wore and her hair knotted back in a flat bun. He smiled and looked out of his open door, awaiting Rei's reply. 

"She's around here somewhere," said Rei, glancing down the corridor and then back at Kai. Dave popped his head through the opening. 

"Hey Kai! Feeling okay?"

"Yeah, good, Dave."

Dave smiled and nodded, and then looked back at Rei. He was about to suggest that they get going when he saw, looking past Rei, a figure running down the hallway. He blinked and Rei saw him hesitate, and they both spun around. 

The Mole skidded to a halt in front of Rei. 

"All righ', Rei?" she cried, her face lighting up. Dave stared. She was nothing like he – nor anybody else – had imagined her to be. She was very short – about five foot two – with short arms and legs and a solid, curvy build. Her feet stuck out rather comically, like those of penguins. Her wide, hazel eyes were hidden behind very thick, rectangular spectacles, and she wore a _lot_ of black eye make-up. She had a small, pointed nose and a cheeky mouth, which revealed a set of straight, sharp teeth. She kept her dark brown hair very short – just past her chin – which gave her a rather studious look. Wearing her khaki combat suit, however, dispelled the academic appearance and left one wondering what had hit them. Dave also noticed that the fairly pale skin on her hands and neck was scarred with dozens of red marks, as though she had been in a fire or something. He chose not to stare at those and smiled. Rei seemed ecstatic. 

"Hey, you're back! It's good to see you!"

Then Rei did something completely unexpected – and picked the girl – who could have been no older than sixteen herself – up and spun her around in a bear hug. Dave listened as she laughed – it was jolty but a pleasant sound in itself – and then listened further as she spoke again.

"Rei, pu' me down, ye' big goon!"

Dave gasped and felt his eyebrows rising in surprise. She spoke so quickly it was difficult to understand what she was saying, and her accent was so strange to him! She pronounced the word 'you' as a kind of 'ye' (for example, the same sound as the 'ye' at the beginning of the word 'yellow'). It was also in English – which Dave could speak fluently. In fact, most people tended to speak English in this camp, as it was simpler that way. Kai and Rei always spoke in English though it was not their native language; Kai spoke Japanese (his native), Russian, and a little Latin as well as English, and Rei spoke Chinese (his native) and English. Dave furrowed his brow as he made out what she was saying and Rei placed her back down. He seemed to understand her perfectly. He then spun around to Dave.

"Dave, this is Jenny, our Mole. Jenny, this is Dave, of the Japanese army."

Dave offered his hand, and Jenny took it with her own scarred ones, not looking in the least put out by his failure to speak. He was baffled!

"Nice te' mee' ye', Dave. 'Owcome yer up 'ere wiv d'Chinese army?"

Dave blinked. This was impossible. At the rate she spoke, and the heavy accent she talked with, Dave couldn't understand a word! Rei laughed, seeing Dave's confusion. 

"Jenny's from Liverpool, in England, Dave. She had a Liverpudlian accent. She's a . . . what do you call it, Jen?"

"'Scousa'?"

"Yeah!" cried Rei, his eyes gleaming, "A Scouser!"

Another blink from Dave, and then he snapped to. 

_"So that's it!"_ he thought triumphantly. At the same time, her question finally registered, and he answered in his own accented English.

"My troop was destroyed, Miss. I'm one of four remaining soldiers left alive from the Japanese army. Rei and his troop rescued me and my three friends from a labour camp near Tokyo a few days ago."

Jenny nodded, her bright eyes scanning him up and down. She seemed energetic enough. 

"Righ',"

Dave noticed that she didn't pronounce the letter 't' very much. He smiled again, politely, taking a strange liking to the girl – who peered into Kai's room curiously. 

"Oo's 'e?"

Taking it that the girl meant '_who's he?' _Dave began to explain. 

"That's Captain Kai Hiwatari. He was head of the troop I was in."

The girl nodded, as if absorbing the information like a sponge. She certainly was a strange piece of work. She moved into the room and looked Kai up and down. Rei and Dave merely followed, Rei laughing at Dave's expression. He almost looked scared!

"'Dis d'one ther'after'in Russia?" she asked. Rei nodded. 

"Kai is one of my best friends, Jen. We bladed on the same team, and Kai has a history with Boris."

Jenny looked back at the bed, whilst Kai met her gaze. He had been listening from his room as she had spoken in the hallway, and was fortunately able to understand a little more than Dave. Still, it was difficult. He looked up at her, and before she could speak again, he asked a question of his own.

"I hear you're pretty good on computers."

Jenny cocked her head at him, her eyes flashing. She was tired – she had jet lag and was not really in the best mood for a grilling. Still, these boys seemed nice.

"Dat Dave one's a righ' laugh, an' 'e's quite fit, not to mention that Kai one! Plus Rei's as lovely as ever! An' tha' uvver feller . . . Lee, tha's it, 'e's still got 'is lovely chest! " she thought as she stared back into Kai's hard eyes. She spoke quickly, flicking her hair out of her eyes. 

"Ye', well. I 'ear yer pre''y good at leadin' yer troops te' vict'ry in Tokyo." 

Kai's eyes brightened. She had already proven she knew more about him than he had originally thought. 

"So you heard about that?" he said, shifting a little. His waist was hurting him. Jenny watched. 

"All righ' there? Whar'appened te' ye'?"

Kai translated, watching Rei behind the girl laughing quietly, and then answered. "It's a long story. I'll tell you another time. I think you and Rei have to sort a lot of stuff out first."

Jenny smiled. "Yep, I'm off. Rei, 'av ye' go' a room where we can talk? I know a lo', but they migh' 'av spies."

Rei stepped forward. "No, Jen, we'll talk here. I want Kai to hear this too. And Dave. Not to mention Lee," he beckoned Lee in from the hallway. Lee closed the door behind him.

Jenny sighed, rolling her eyes, and then pulled up a chair. She moved a little clumsily. "Ye' sure ye' can trust 'm Rei mate? 'Ow well d'ye' know these lads?"

Rei pulled up a chair of his own, whilst Dave and Lee leaned against the wall. "Well enough, Jen. I take it you've made a report of all this."

Jenny nodded, and Dave smiled, not sure why. 

"Yer I 'av. I've sent one copy te' th' Gen'rels in 'Ong Kong an' England, an' I gave anuvver te' Lieutenan' Hing. 'Ey-yar."

Presuming that the last two words meant _'Here you are', _Rei leant forward and took the blue folder Jenny handed to him, which she had removed from her duffel bag. He then relaxed and glanced at Kai. 

"Take this in, Kai. You need to know this."

Kai shrugged, and Jenny took off. 

"'Remember tha' lake ye' told me abou', Rei? Th' one in Russia?"

Rei nodded. "Lake Bikau?"

"Ye', tha's it. Go east from th' centre fer abou' free miles, and ye' get te' a turnoff in th' road. Go norf-east. Carry on fer abou' 'alf a mile, an' you'll see a fence to ye' left. Follo' th' fence until ye' get to a black steel gate – it's a bi' rusted an' all. Hop th' gate an' you'll be in a field o' like corn or sumfin'. Look te' th' righ' o' th' field, past th' fick trees an' all tha', an' you'll just see th' tip o' th' HQ buildin' poppin' over th' tops o' th' trees. It's a dark grey buildin'."

Dave shook his head. He hadn't gotten any of that. However, Rei seemed to be managing just fine, and Kai either understood enough to follow, or masked his confusion really well. Rei was writing this down on a notepad he had seemed to acquire from thin air, but, on the plus side, Lee looked just as confused as Dave himself did. 

"How heavily guarded is it?" asked Kai, stealing the words from Rei's mouth. 

_"Damn it,"_ thought Dave, _"Kai's understanding! How? It's like she's speaking Swahili!"_

Jenny nodded. "Th' fron' is. If ye' go behind th' buildin' in abou' a 'alf-mile radius, you'll avoid detection an' you'll be able te' move in closer. Th' back o' th' buildin' is overgrown wiv like, loads'a' plants an' bushes an' stuff. You'll 'av no problem creepin' up. From wha' I've seen there's two guards a' th' back o' th' buildin'."

Rei held up a hand. "We'll talk about that later, Jen. Talk about the structure of the inside."

Jenny took another breath, looking a little tired. "Righ'. Th' buildin's made up o' free levels. Ground, one, two, an' free. Ground is like a reception floor. I'll tell yer abou' cameras an' stuff later. Th' first floor is like a storage floor. It's where de' keep all their weapons, uniforms, artillery – you name it, it's there. Second floor is a computin' floor. Dey've go' th' entire system on tha' floor, which is dangerous. 'Cause people like me can sneak in an' access everyfin' I'm no' supposed te'. Tha's probably our main floor. Th' fird floor is where the offices are. I never saw Voltaire's office, bur'I know it's up there. I saw Boris' office, an' a few uvvas."

She paused, and Rei caught up with her on his note pad, where he was frantically scribbling in messy Chinese. 

"Security?"

"Immense. S'like a bloomin' camera shop in there. Both lifts are guarded-"

"Lifts?" broke in Kai, pausing the girl. Dave was also confused. Rei saved Jenny the bother of explaining. 

"She means elevators. Carry on, Jenny."

"Sorry, elevators. Anyway, they're guarded a lot, an' th' second an' fird floor 'av both got two guards on each 'allway. Guards are loaded wiv one hand-pistol each. Dey can call fer back-up anytime."

She finished for the moment and leaned back into her chair. The room was silent but for the scribbling of Rei's pen on the notepad as he hurriedly jotted everything down. When he had gotten all he needed, he looked up, flicking his inky-black hair out of his eyes with a shake of his head.

"Sounds good, huh Kai?"

Kai nodded as he lay himself down in the white sheets of his bed, feeling the cold a little. "I'm guessing there'll be even heavier security outside Voltaire's room?"

"Four guards loaded wiv machine guns," replied Jenny a little monotonously. 

Rei sighed and ran a hand through his jet black mop, feeling a little outclassed. BIOVOLT certainly seemed to have all of the bases covered. It looked like infiltrating their lair would be a complete impossibility . . . 

********************End Flashback! ****************************************************************************************

Kai smiled to himself, amused. Almost a week had gone by since Jenny had gotten back to camp, and she had caused mayhem quite literally. The first day, she had been trying to squeeze brown sauce out of the sauce pot and had managed got squirt it all over one of the computers, causing it to crash – not to mention creating sparks that flew from the keyboard! She had already confessed to having an addiction to brown sauce. 

_"She's so strange," _thought Kai as he looked out of the window, still bound to his bed and feeling rather useless. At that moment Jenny, running past his room like a headless turkey, screaming at the top of her lungs "It's double hash eight," snapped him out of his thoughts. "Th' password's DOUBLE HASH EIGHT!!!"

_"I hope BIOVOLT don't have their own Mole here, or they'll know exactly what we're doing at every minute of the day!"_

She ran past again, and Kai chuckled. She was a source of amusement for him in the times when Tyson or Rei couldn't take him for a spin in the wheelchair – the only one in the ward – but still he couldn't help feeling restless. 

At that moment, the Chinese forces were directly in the middle of decoding the files needed to hack anonymously into BIOVOLT's mainframe. Jenny and her crew of . . . er . . . two . . . were entirely confident that they could take down the system within three weeks. They were working on it day and night, and were moving along at a good pace. If things continued the way they were, the files would be decoded and "Operation Cheesecake" (as Tyson had so blithely named it) would be able to completely mess up the majority of computers in the BIOVOLT HQ. That would allow the Storm Troopers to enter.

Rei had been carefully compiling a list of possible members of the Storm Trooper Squad. Dave had been chosen immediately – Rei had recognised the same qualities in Dave that Kai had spotted so long ago – inside Dave was a spark. It lay still, but could be set off in a devastating manner if triggered in the correct way. He carried with him determination, grit, and a sense of humour – which would probably be very necessary on this operation. He had also chosen Max, as Max had not yet used the power of his bit-beast Draciel and it could help them if they got into a tight spot – plus Max had grown a lot and could (and probably _would_) be devastating in a battle. Rei himself would be going, as well as Tyson (no-body was sure just _why_ Rei chose Tyson. Perhaps he thought the lad might rise to the occasion, just as he had in previous battles and operations). He was considering Lee, but Lee hadn't the heart for all of this gore and violence. Rei had been surprised to see how much Lee hated this. He had expected his former teammate to rise magnificently to the occasion, but Lee had shown an immense disliking to the whole business. That left a spot open, and it was a difficult choice for Rei to make. Lee, or perhaps Lieutenant Hing, or one of the English fighters, or maybe . . .  even . . . ?

Jenny would also be going with them, and her technician, Mark, a skinny, bright lad with a naughty grin and a freckly, impish face. They would be working on the computer meltdown from the inside. That left one spot.

Kai frowned, trying to think whom it could be. Perhaps Rei knew people from his own squadron, or maybe he had someone from England in mind. Whoever it was would have a huge task to take on. 

Kai blinked as his door opened, and Jenny stepped in, panting and obviously out of breath. He smiled at her as she shut the door behind herself. 

"Hey, Jenny. How are things going?"

Jenny waved a nonchalant hand. "Grea'. Blumin' wonderful. Mark just los' the decodin' files yet again! E's such a wazzock. Bu' yeah, fings aren't so bad. We're doin' better than we planned. 'Owever, I didn't' come 'ere ter talk abou' me, no matter how temptin' tha' sounds. I've come te' talk abou' _you_."

Kai raised his eyebrows, now adapted to Jenny's chirpy, bright voice and strange words. Ignoring the question of _'What's a wazzock?'_ he asked a different question.

"Why's that?"

Jenny pulled up a chair. "Rei sent me in earlier, bur'I'was dead busy and I 'ad te' keep goin' on a certain file. Now it's done an' all, I can come an' talk te' yer. Righ' . . . er . . . oh yeah. Rei asked how yer doin'. He wanted me te' come an' ask how yer doin'. Seems a bit fick if yer ask me – why not just ask yer 'imself?"

Kai was also puzzled. What was Rei up to now? He had grown so shrewd that Kai could barely follow where Rei's mind was taking him sometimes. He sighed.

"Well, whatever. I'm feeling okay. Is that it?"

Jenny rolled her eyes. "_No!_ I fink 'e wants a bi' more detail, if yer know wha' I mean."

Another sigh from Kai. He felt like he was being played with. "Well, the only thing really giving me trouble is my pelvis. My legs seem to be healing fine. Just my pelvis occasionally hurts – I mean, it goes away quickly and all. It just aches now and then."

Jenny watched him carefully as he spoke, her round hazel eyes taking in every feature of the boy. She took a breath.

"I 'erd tha' you'll be up an' abou' in free weeks or so now. Bet yer lookin' forward te' tha'."

"Uh huh."

Jenny was silent for a moment, before speaking a little more quickly than usual.

"Rei wants yer te' lead th' squad."

There was an uneasy silence, before Kai glanced at Jenny, who seemed to be awaiting his answer, and smiled.

"Be serious. Why are you here, Jenny?"

Jenny blinked rapidly; taken aback that Kai had thought that she had been joking.

"Er . . . no, Kai, I'm serious. 'E said 'e wants you leadin'. 'Onest, I swear on me own life tha' I'm no' try'na trick yer!"

Kai looked head on at the girl, who seemed to be telling the truth. "Jenny?"

"Yer?"

"Has Rei lost his mind?"

Jenny stood up angrily. "I dunno wha' ye' bein' so sarcastic for! It's an honour te' even be asked te' do sumfin like this, an' you don't even bovva believin' it! I'll get Rei in me-self if ye' tha' incredulous!"

_"Okay, scary angry English girl on me here," _thought Kai as Jenny flailed her hands in the air dramatically. _"Better say something,"_

"Okay, I believe you. But why'd Rei ask me?" Kai asked, his smooth, low voice calming the irate girl down. She took her seat. "It's not like I can even walk or anything!"

Jenny ran a hand through her messy hair – she had been so busy that she hadn't had time to tie her hair up when she rose that morning. She'd run a comb through it and left it at that – despite the fact that it looked like a mop. A wet mop. A wet brown mop. 

"I dunno, Kai, this is jus' wha' 'e told me ter ask ye'. Personally, I fink you're gonna be up an' abou' sooner than ye' fink. In fact . . . I'm no' s'pposed ter even tell ye' this . . . "

She lowered her voice to a whisper, and Kai leaned forwards, knowing she would be practically impossible to understand. 

"You'll be walkin' in two weeks, say th' medics," she hushed, looking about anxiously in case somebody heard her. Kai had to laugh at that one. 

"Okay, now I know this is a joke. What type of medic would say that? A blind one?"

He shook his head, while Jenny looked more and more annoyed. 

"Righ', jibb this, I'm off. S'no point sittin' round wiv you if yer not even gonna believe a word I say!" 

She kicked her chair away hard, causing it to scrape along the floor in an undesirable fashion, and then stormed out of the room. Kai stared after her for a second, the smile on his face dropping slowly, and he ran his own hand through his hair, wondering what he had done to deserve this. Was she lying? Was Rei lying? How about the doctors? Would he be out of bed soon?

Kai's heart leapt at that last one. He longed to be up again. He despised lying in bed, useless, whilst the others had to work to keep the camp alive. He felt so guilty. But part of him didn't feel he was meant to be doing this mission anyway. He felt wrong. Almost like he shouldn't. What the group was going to do would cause the deaths of millions of BIOVOLT soldiers. Kai felt in his heart that he wasn't cracked up for this. He was no leader. 

As Kai lay back to ponder Jenny's words of 'wisdom', the door creaked open again, and in stepped Rei. Kai raised his eyebrows and didn't bother to sit up.

"Okay, Rei, was that a wind up? She seemed pretty intense, so-"

Rei laughed, raising his hands, his face crinkling in merriment and his ochre eyes glinting warmly, attractively. 

"Woah, calm it down! Jeez!"

He pulled over the chair that Jenny had kicked in her rage. "You should have believed her."

"Is that 'cause she was telling the truth or because now I'm on the wrong side of her and she's one dangerous lady?" asked Kai, his voice wet with sticky sarcasm and irritation. He'd had enough of this. 

"All right," said Rei, smiling, "Relax. She was telling the truth. I want you to lead the squad. Lee isn't quite fit for the job, and I don't want Hing there to boss us all around and then lose his head when he sees something gross. You're the man for the job, buddy."

"But what abou-"

"Wait! Patience, virtue, remember? What you don't know is that your legs and waist have been set in a particular way by our medics – the _modus operandi* _that encourages the quickest healing. Not to mention the fact that you always were a quick healer . . . basically the doctors are saying you'll be up within two weeks."

Rei held up his hands in defence as Kai was about to speak again. "Now, I don't know how much truth there is in that! We'll have to wait and see. But there's no harm in hoping, is there?"

"What if I'm not fit for the mission by the time you leave?"

Rei smiled. "You will be. And you'll be bringing Dranzer. She could be useful too."

He stood up. "Well, I need to go help the Banshee. She hasn't stopped yelling or screaming today. I think she's working too hard. And the worst part is, we're out of brown sauce."

Kai sat up. "What? Oh man! Waah, Rei," he continued in a quite impressive Liverpudlian accent, "She's gonna eat yer alive! Waah, I'd leg it now if I was you!" 

Rei chuckled. "Don't. She isn't _that_ bad!"

Kai nodded. "Yeah, she's cool. Dave seems to like her a lot."

The two nodded together solemnly, both feeling that if Dave ever got involved in a relationship with Jenny, he would be digging his own grave within a month's time. Then they smiled and laughed, both imagining Dave digging his grave and Jenny shouting orders for him to speed up and saying that she didn't have all day.

******************************************************************************************************************************

A harsh wind blew through the air, forcing itself through the trees and creating a cruel sounding crackle as it hissed. A light snow had fallen and made the ground a little slippery, and it was difficult to walk in the regulation army boots. The air whispered about them, and the trees rubbed together eerily. 

The fence was brown; with bits of rust here and there where the metal nails had been ravaged by nature. It lay behind now, and ahead, looking over the green and white treetops, was the destination. 

HQ.

Tyson, crouching behind a small jade shrub, turned around, his face marked with camouflage of olive and tan paint. His grey blue eyes stood out rather startlingly. His hair poked from underneath a green helmet, branded with a golden star, which glistened in the evening's light, however dim that was. 

"What now?"

The team could not be seen to the naked eye, but Tyson knew where they were hiding. There was Max, crouching behind another bramble bush close to Tyson, and Dave's face could be caught peering from behind the bark of a tree. Further back, Rei's ponytail could occasionally be seen as he moved stealthily like a shadow or a spirit, at home in the forest. Jenny and Mark were to Tyson's right, crouching down and fiddling very quietly with a tiny laptop and whispering almost silently to each other in hushed tones.  

Tyson waited for an answer, and there was a rustling above to his left. He glanced over in the direction of the noise just in time to see his Captain drop down easily from the tree branches above and land nimbly on the floor, bending his knees in the landing process carefully. 

Kai stood up, stretching to his full height, and put the pair of binoculars he had been using away in one of his many pockets. As impressive as ever, with his strip of khaki material returned to being tied just underneath his hairline and his Uzi's at his waist again, Kai Hiwatari stepped forwards, not showing an instant's hesitation in moving his legs, nor a second of insecurity or doubt about where he was meant to be now. 

"We move. No time like the present."                 

Operation "_Sui Generis_"had begun.

_In the clearing stands a boxer, and a fighter by his trade, _

_And he carries the reminders of every glove that laid him down _

_Or cut him till he cried out,_

_In his anger and his shame: "I am leaving, I am leaving!"_

But the fighter still remains. 

******************************************************************************************************************************

Sherbet Mayhem: Well, I'm finally done! YAY! How did you like it? Oh, I need to explain Rei's Latin. I starred it with an asterix * so I could explain it . . . modus operandi means 'method of operating'. It's a medical term, me thinks. And the name of the Operation, _Sui Generis_ means 'In a class of its own', as in, something like this has never been and never will be attempted. It also translates as unique, but I prefer the translation 'once-in-a-lifetime' or "Never again". Never again is probably the nicest, coz it implies that this operation isn't only the last of its kind, but that it will put an end to ever needing operations like this again, because war will be 'never again'.  

How did you like Jenny? I decided this story needed a bit of comic relief, so I threw her in. Don't worry, it's not gonna turn into a romance between Dave and Jenny or anything. This is about WAR and will remain so. But I'll probably throw hints of flirting in now and again for all of the romantics out there. 

Sorry I took so long to update. Every time I put my computer on, my friend called (we talk for like two hours every night!) on the phone, or I felt the urge to go and work more on my song writing – yes, I write music. Well, I've written tonnes of lyrics and now I'm putting them to music. I have only one song completed and it took ages! Plus the whole Bangor University thing. 

The lyrics at the end of this chapter were from 'The Boxer' by Simon and Garfunkel. Yes, I love Simon and Garfunkel. Go on, laugh. I'm used to it – lol. I chose them because they relate to Kai – how he wanted to give up and didn't believe he would be able to take part in sui generis, even though he should have been. The lyrics make the poignant remark that if something is part of us, if something is deep down, inbred into our souls, it won't go away, even if it's hurting us to keep it. Kai didn't want to take part in sui generis, because he thought it involved too much death and destruction – plus he never thought he'd be fit enough or good enough. However, it is in Kai's blood to lead people, to be a true leader with initiative and so on, and his body fought to get back to health, to fulfil that need to be the leader of the pack. The lyrics kind of reflected that by saying the Boxer, no matter how ashamed he was, no matter how down and out he was, he was a Boxer, and there was no getting around that. I mean, I thought they applied, anyhow. When Simon and Garfunkel performed it live one time, they changed the lyrics, and in the last line (I am leaving, I am leaving, but the fighter still remains) they sang _"Through changes upon changes, we are more or less the same" _and I also think that is very true of this chapter and the characters.

I'll stop now. I'm too tired. It's 03: 47am, and I HAVE COLLEGE (last two years of high school for those of the readers in the good ol' USA) TOMORROW! My bus leaves at eight o clock, so in time to shower, make-up, perfume, choose outfit, choose shoes, eat breakfast and pack school bag I am gonna have to get up at six am! Lol! I'll be happy tomorrow! Or not. 

Anyways, you know the drill by now! REVIEW PLEASIES!!! Tell me if it sucked, and expect a ton of action in the next chapter! Oh, and the British will be making their debut in the next chappie too. The All Stars aren't gonna appear, 'cause frankly I despise Emily so much, and Michael thinks he's perfect, and Steve is really ugly with icky helmet hair (is that natural?) and Eddy is just a wannabe Kai, try'na be all cool as a bloomin' cucumber! Ew. What a rip off.

Oh, before I go, if you guys need a translation on any of the 'Liverpudlian' phrases or sentences, just email me. It'll be confusing, I know! It was actually really difficult to write my own accent in! I never realised I missed the letter 't' off the end of so many words! Lol! It sounds so normal to me, you see. If you can't understand I'll edit the chapter and change it into normal English if it's too hard – which is suspect it might be, as I know that if I wasn't from Liverpool and I read that then I'd be utterly boggled! 

See ya soon, and be happy!

Jen x x x x x x x x x

REVIEW!!!

Oh, I think I'll throw in a little taster! Just to whet your little appetites . . . you're gonna hate me for this . . . hee, hee . . . 

* * * * * * * *

Next chapter . . . 

"What do you mean they haven't arrived?" asked Kai, rubbing his waist, which was beginning to get more than a little sore, "That's impossible!"

"It's no joke," muttered Rei, his face looking suddenly tired, "The Chinese are going to have to stand alone."

Tyson, listening in to the boys' not so private conversation, gasped and leaned against the nearby wall, overwhelmed by the magnitude of Rei's last statement. Rei and Kai noticed but didn't mind that he had listened in – everybody would have to know sooner or later anyway. Rei glanced back at Kai with worry written across his deep amber irises, glowing in the dark. 

"We're done for."

With his heart sinking deeper into his chest and thudding rapidly, Kai could only agree. 

* * * * * * * *

Sherbet Mayhem: Ooo, it's getting rough for the boys (and girl – yay, go me!!!) in the next edition of WAR, coming soon to a fanfiction site near you! Read it or beat it! ;p


	7. Taking the Plunge

Sherbet Mayhem: Hello, and welcome back to yet another instalment of WAR!!! It's been fun, hasn't it? Hasn't it? Hello? o.0

Anyways, yeah, welcome back. Hope you all enjoyed chapter six – your reviews were positive so I take it you did. Actually I've only been able to read two of my reviews as I've been off school (my school is currently a building site and I don't go back till the 15th – and even that date is really pushing whether school will be 'suitable' to work in. Personally I could work in a sandwich box. Like I care. It's not like I'm gonna actually work . . . ) and I haven't been able to get onto the net. The last time I checked War I had a review off somebody with a name similar to . . . oh man, I can't remember, and I looked at it loads; it was someone who hated their computer because it didn't tell them when I uploaded chapters five and six. Oh, I'm really sorry, whoever you are . . . lol! My memory is equal to that of a fish's memory (a whole seven seconds, if you didn't already know). I also read the review from bey-girl-nicky – see, I always remember bey-girl-nicky 'cause we constantly email each other! Thanks, y'all, for the booootiful reviews! Arigato! If I read anyone else's reviews and forgot you then I'm sorry! 

Bey-Girl-Nicky – you actually updated! Yeah! And this story, well, I don't know how many pages it is on Word. I keep it in Web page format because if I see page numbers I start setting myself goals that I never reach, like "Oh, this chapter _simply has_ to be fifteen pages long" and then hate myself when I fail. That's what's been going on with the sequel to Hidden Adversary. I just despise the whole thing now – despite the fact that it is an impressive 72 pages long! I'm sure I'll get to it eventually, but now WAR has me hooked! Apologies ;p Hold on, I'll see the pages thing now, hold on a sec . . . erm, divide by six, carry the two, plus delta, erm . . . it all comes to . . . okay, so it's NINETY-TWO PAGES LONG ALREADY! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Even I'm impressed? I doubted it had hit fifty! Well, there you go, Nicky. Ninety-two. I feel a little faint! Lol. 

Er, I should get down to business now, eh? Okay then, so what do I own? Any volunteers? Okay, I'll do it. I own a dovetail saw, a piece of cheese, a plastic purple protractor, a tube of toothpaste, a yoghurt pot, a shoehorn, a toasty maker (delicious!) and, er . . . AN ASTHMA INHALOR! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Yes! I now consider myself truly rich! I am one lucky person! Now . . . how do you use this thing . . . OW, sprayed myself in the eye! IT BURNS!!!

Okaaayy, er, on with the show. The time is . . . a surprisingly healthy 14:48 pm – that's ten to three in the afternoon! Amazing! I'm no longer nocturnal! 

Enjoy chapter seven!

Oh, and a quick apology to make. I've been referring to the lake where Kai nearly popped his clogs as 'Lake Bikau', merely going on Judy's pronunciation in one of the later Beyblade episodes. However, after researching it a bit in my Atlas (why didn't I do that earlier?) it turns out it's called Lake Baikal. I'm not about to upload the chapter again just 'cause of that silly little mistake, so I'm just gonna keep calling it Lake Bikau for consistency, even though it's wrong. I'd rather have the mistake run all the way through than change it half way and confuse people. Sorry about that. 

******************************************************************************************************************************

Chapter Seven: Taking the Plunge

************************************Flashback******************************************************************************

It was the evening before _Sui Generis_ began. The seven who had been chosen had been given a tent to themselves – a huge tent with complete privacy. They had a lot to think about. The operation was so huge and dangerous that a few of them had begun to worry too much and Hing, despite the fact that he was an old goat, had decided they needed to spend the night relaxing with each other. 

That day had also been mail day, and at about seven o clock the zipper to the tent was undone and they were handed their mail. Tyson beamed as he received a bunch of letters, as did Max. Tyson sat down in a corner of the tent, eager to open his mail. He tore open the first letter and found it was from his father, encouraging him to do his best and assuring him that the family were proud. The second letter was from his grandfather, offering a few words of advice and telling him how things were back home. BIOVOLT hadn't gotten to Tyson's hometown yet. The third and final letter to Tyson was from Tyson's mother, who had been away on an intense archaeological dig and had not seen Tyson for three years. 

Tyson looked up after reading and then re-reading his letters. Nearby, he saw Dave, scouring over a single letter. Interested (and feeling that the silence of the tent was a little uncomfortable) Tyson walked over and sat on the floor next to Dave. 

"Who's it from, Dave?"

Dave blinked, obviously disturbed from his thoughts, and focused on Tyson. His eyes seemed to be a little distant.

"Oh, hey Tyson. It's from Yuri, my girlfriend back home. It's the first time she's written to me."

"Cool," answered Tyson, nodding. He smiled. "How long have you been going out with her?"

Dave winced. "None of your business, Tyson."

A little taken aback by Dave's curt, sharp answer, Tyson moved away towards Max. "So, Maxy, any good news?"

Max smiled. "A bundle. I got two letters from mom, a letter from dad, and one from the All-Stars. Pretty cool, huh? Everyone's okay back home. Mom says she's been working on an improvement in Bit-Release so we can actually release the Bit-Beasts more than twice. Dad's been helping her, and they're about to try it with the All-Stars' blades."

Tyson laughed. "All right! That's great news, Max! Your mom and dad rule!"

Over in a hard backed chair at the other end of the tent, Rei shook his head in embarrassment. He hated it when Tyson said stuff like that. It was really annoying! He looked down at the letter in his hands, and then lifted it to his nose. It would seem strange to anyone watching, but Rei knew that she always scented his letters with perfume, just to remind him of how it would be when they were back together again. Yes, the letter was from Mariah, whom he missed very sorely. He longed to simply hear her talk again, as, when he read her letters, the pretty sound of her voice was beginning to ebb away and he couldn't remember it so well anymore. After smelling the already open letter, Rei re-read it, attempting to take his thoughts off tomorrow's mission. Surprisingly enough, Rei had been one of the people who had been panicking about _sui generis_. All of his careful planning and intense strategising would finally be coming to the test, and he was very nervous. What if he had missed something? Had he made a mistake that was likely to get his friends killed? Was he going to die himself? 

Rei was left to ponder his thoughts, while in a chair nearby, Kai sat silently, his eyes closed, mediating on tomorrow. Even though he had not yet begun to panic about it, he was beginning to imagine the things that could go wrong – which he often did just before a vital occurrence in his life. He had received no mail – for whom had he to receive mail from? His parents? Died when he was very young. Siblings? Kai was an only child. Friends? Well, Kai's only friends – real friends – had been the Blade-Breakers and a few soldiers – including Dango and Dave. Two of them were already gone. Kai was attempting to make it his main priority that his _friends_ should survive this, and they were causing him the most worry. 

He opened his eyes and looked about the tent, the coffee irises flitting back and forth as he took in every detail. Mark was grinning at an amusing letter from one of his friends, and Jenny was sitting at a table not far away, opening – a package? A large brown package, tied with string. It looked heavy, and, intrigued, Kai got up and walked over to where she was sitting. 

He had been walking for about four days now. The pains in his legs had completely ceased, and Kai felt as though his legs had never taken any damage in their lives. His waist gave him a little trouble now and then, but only if he moved it into a position that was very far from its resting place or an unusual one – for example, Kai probably would never be able to do exercise that involved complex movement of the legs, like gymnastics or kickboxing. Otherwise, Kai felt fine, and certainly felt fit enough to take part in _sui generis_. In fact, ever since he had been able to walk again, Kai had felt his doubts wash away too. He knew he was good enough to lead his men through this – he _had_ to believe that. What else could he believe? He knew – and he had made sure the others knew it too – that it was essential to go into this operation with the confidence that they would succeed. Hopefully, this confidence would be enough to bring them all through it. 

Jenny looked up from her package as Kai's shadow fell over her. She was sitting at a small table against one of the walls of the tent. She smiled a little awkwardly at Kai.

"'Iya."

Kai nodded, didn't smile, in greeting, and glanced at the package. "What's with the bundle?"

Jenny's smile widened as she thought of who had sent her the package. "It's from me mate, Ruth. She's such a chum. 'Can't believe she's done this."

Kai pulled out another chair and took a seat. "Done what?"

Jenny took a breath and then pulled out what had been hidden by the brown paper packaging. It looked like a large purple book, hard backed, with splashes of burgundy and pink occasionally marking the cover. She flipped the thing over in her hands and Kai read the title with raised eyebrows.

"A Bible?"

Jenny laughed. "Don't sound so surprised. Ruth knew I'd fergot me Bible, an' so what's she do? She's gone an' sen' me it in th' bloomin' mail!"

Kai half smiled, still looking at the big Bible in her scarred hands. "Do you read that thing?"

Jenny placed the Bible on the table gently and then rolled her eyes at Kai.

"'Course I do. D'ye' fink I'd jus' keep it on th' flippin' shelf?"

Kai smiled fully now, amused. He had never been the religious type. In his opinion, life was life, death was death, and that was it. He lived by his own rules, and preferred not to place his life in the hands of others at any cost. 

He watched, however, as Jenny flipped open the mini library of books – which was very worn down and dog-eared on the inside. There were little scribbles of ink all over the text where she had annotated it to help her study. She was obviously very devoted. 

"I had no idea," mused Kai as he watched her face. She looked genuinely pleased. She smiled and nodded at his words and continued to flip through the collection of books, right through to the New Testament. Then she ran her finger down some of the text until she found the quote she was looking for.

"I know ye' don't believe Kai. But read this quote. It'll help."

A little wary, Kai leaned forward. He didn't want this obviously crazy girl to draw him in to a world of rules and religion. Still, he knew it would keep her happy and off his back, and so he read it. It was a quotation from the gospel of Mark, Chapter Nine. Verse twenty-three. "All things are possible for the one who believes."

Kai read it through and his face sobered. He suddenly felt a lot warmer towards Jenny. She had rooted out a passage that would make all of them feel comforted, even if they didn't believe what she believed. He smiled and looked up at her. She was reading the verse herself. 

"Thanks." 

Jenny nodded. "If ye' take anyfin' from th' Bible, take tha'. 'Cause it's true." 

Kai, feeling a lot less nervous, stood up and stretched, tired. Glancing around at the other six soldiers in the tent, he suddenly knew that they could do it. He believed that somehow they would complete this operation. They'd come out of it alive. Japan, Britain and China would come through. BIOVOLT were going down.

******************************End flashback!*******************************************************************************

Kai couldn't say he felt the same way right now. Rei's news had just almost knocked the breath out of him. The group of seven were crouching in a small clearing outside BIOVOLT Main HQ. The wind was a cold one, digging into their painted faces. Every member of the squad was kitted out to avoid detection at all costs. Each had been given more advanced weapons. Tyson now held a Commando AK with a folding butt, a slim, long grey and black gun with sniping abilities and a quick fire rate – plus a regular pistol at his hip. Rei held a Minimi light machine gun, ideal for soldiers with a slim frame but a high accuracy rate. His clips were slung over his shoulder – and he too carried a regular hand held pistol. Jenny and Mark had been given handguns but were not intended to get involved in the fighting. Their handguns were in the case of an emergency. Max held a Desert Eagle and his hand-pistol was in its holster at his hip. The Desert Eagle was out and ready to fire for now, but usually stayed away in Max's backpack. Dave carried the same weapon as Rei, the Minimi light, which had a renowned accuracy rate and was light and accessible in any situation, as well as a hand gun and three anti-personnel mines, unarmed for the moment, in his pocket. Kai carried an M16 rifle, fitted with the M203, 40millimetre grenade launcher, with the clips slung across his shoulder as usual. His Uzi's hung at his hips, and in his backpack he carried a gun identical to Tyson's, just in case he ran out of clips. All of them carried heavy backpacks containing separate pieces to be used in fitting together the 66 shoulder-launched rocket; a powerful, devastating machine that could easily take out a room packed with soldiers if needed. It was one of their last resorts. The other two last resorts hung at the hips of Kai and Max, in small, tightly attached pouches, flashing occasionally as the squad crept through the moonlight.

Yes, the operation had begun quite a while ago, and night had fallen quickly on the team. There had been little sun that day anyway, as it had been snowing and the sky had been clouded over with heavy grey clouds. The team – consisting of seven people in all – had been dropped off at Lake Bikau about two hours ago in a Chinook copter – a quiet, stealthy aircraft, similar to Black Hawks but slightly more powerful. They had followed Jenny's directions very carefully and finally arrived at the black steel gate, which they had quickly hopped, and the team had taken a brief rest in the cornfield. The stalks had provided sufficient cover and, as the night sky was falling, the group had been almost inconspicuous. About half an hour ago they had moved to the back of the building in a huge semi-circle like path. Finally, they had arrived at an area of good cover, and were able to watch the two guards at the back of the HQ from a safe haven. 

Rei held his TACBE (tactical beacon) radio close to his ear, and listened again. The message was repeated. He and Kai were listening in closely now. 

Frowning, Rei switched his radio off in a moment of anger. "I don't believe this. It's impossible."

Kai was about to respond when he heard a cry from ahead. He whipped out his binoculars – as did about five other members of the squad – and looked to the HQ. His sight focused and he saw one of the guards loading up a machine gun, positioning it on a fence that surrounded the building and preparing to shoot at them.

"Take cover!" he yelled quickly, diving down as he spoke. Rei hit the deck besides him, and all around there was the sound of bodies slamming into the dirt. Tyson, on the other hand, slipped behind a nearby, thick tree, and held his breath. He hated this part. The sneaking, the infiltrating – yeah, fine, Tyson was down with it. It didn't bother him in the slightest. But when combat was introduced and shooting could not be avoided, his gut always churned at the feeling that he might have to take down another human being. Gulping, he fumbled at the AK desperately, wrapping his shaking fingers about the handle and pressing his index finger against the trigger. 

He pressed too hard and a round of bullets spattered out into the trees around them. 

"TYSON!" yelled Rei in anger, "What the hell? We've already got enemy fire, you moron! We don't need you firing on us as well! Get a hold of yourse-"

Rei was cut off as a bullet scraped the length of his arm and then whizzed past. He cried out softly and grasped at his arm. Fortunately he had just avoided being shot. Unfortunately, he had already taken a painful injury. Kai growled.

"Stay down, everyone!" he yelled, his voice taking command of the situation, which was virtually uncontrollable. Watching through narrowed eyes, Dave pressed himself into the ground, knowing what was coming. Max peered over his section of bush, and watched. 

Kai wormed forwards on his belly a little, finding himself a comfortable place between two small shrubs. The majority of his body was still covered by wildlife. He pulled his M16 out and peered through the laser-sight attached to the top of the impressive firearm. The M203 was in a perfect position. He was going to blow a hole in the side of the building with his grenade launcher.

_"Stuff 'em all," _ he thought darkly as he took aim. 

"Wait!" hissed Jenny, crawling through the brush and grabbing Kai's leg. Kai growled. 

"I told you to stay down."

Jenny shook her head wildly. "No, no, ye' can't! We'll lose all elemen' o' surprise! Don' be stupid!"

Kai paused, and then growled again. Seeing Rei get hit had filled him with a blind rage – a very rare occurrence - and he had been intent on taking the guards out using whatever means possible. Still, what Jenny was saying made sense. He wriggled back so he was more on level with her. 

"What do you suggest we do?" he spat, still angry. Jenny looked back at Mark, who was hiding his head with his arms and still typing furiously at his tiny computer. 

"The Desert Eagle has the perfect firing range to take out the two guards but not damage the building," Mark whispered, his dark eyes scanning the screen in front of him, "Max?"

Max's eyes lit up. Here was the part of this job he enjoyed. He stood up bravely, as it was impossible to fire the Desert Eagle from the ground, and took aim, the wind blowing through his blond hair. Tyson watched sadly. 

"There he goes,"

Max fired the first round successfully, the silencer on the Eagle allowing them to avoid informing nearby authorities of their presence. Ironically, the two guards had been using a silencer on their machine gun and so nobody but those two knew the team had arrived. 

Max grinned as he hit his target, knowing the attention was on him and revelling in it. 

"One down, ladies and gents,"

He swerved his gun to the left, and pulled the trigger, his tongue sticking out as he aimed carefully. The back-force of the shot made his body jerk as he fired, and he smiled broadly as he watched the other guard go down through his laser-sight.         

"And that's two for Max! Yeah, I am the man!"

Max lowered his gun and opened both eyes again – as one had been squinted shut when he had been taking his aim. He looked down and saw Dave and Kai tending to Rei's arm. It had been scratched but it was nothing too serious, and Rei, though his face was a little pale, seemed to be fine. 

"Glad that wasn't a dead on shot," he said, his teeth chattering, "It would have taken my arm off."

Dave nodded. "I'll just wrap this Rei, and then you'll be good to go again."

Rei nodded, his arm sore, and watched as Dave finished the bandage. He laughed when it was neatly tied. "Thanks!"

He stood up, well aware that the threat from the two guards was over, and listened as Kai spoke. 

"Okay, listen. If just two guards gave us that much trouble, then imagine what it's gonna be like inside. We need to get things together."

"But Kai," piped in Tyson a little warily, "You almost made a mistake that could have gotten us killed! How can you just blame us?"

Kai was silent for a second, and looked at the ground. Then he glanced back up, conscious that the whole squad was watching him with scrutinising eyes. He felt terrible, and he hadn't meant to just blame everyone else. That sudden self-confidence inspired in him the previous night had disappeared in a quick thinking move that had left him embarrassed and feeling ridiculous. He spoke quietly.

"Yeah, well, the whole thing was pretty sloppy. Let's just forget it and get inside. That's what we're here to do, right?"

He sighed, knowing that they were all still watching him. 

"It'll take us a few minutes to get there. Keep your guard up," Rei interrupted the silence as cheerfully as he could, his arm not hurting too much now. "And remember, we can do this!"

Dave smiled in unison with Tyson. "Yeah, we took those guys out! We can do the rest too!"

They set off, marching in pairs towards the ominous looking building. It was a very dark grey, and looked similar to an old, haunted house, if one will excuse the cliché. It was very tall and slim for a building, and it was difficult to believe that such a deserted, desolate place could be a major HQ for one of the most infamous operations around.

_"But," _thought Rei as he traipsed along next to Max, who was humming cheerfully, pleased with his previous performance, _"they used an Abbey in Moscow to hide one of the most cruel schemes imaginable. This place is perfect for them!"_

Rei watched with interest as he noticed a stream picking its way through the field, avoiding the stalks of grain and flowing with a gentle ripple towards the building. 

"Even in such a horrible place," he mused, "there's still a little bit left of beauty. It's such a refreshing change to this dull landscape." 

As Rei watched the river, his amber eyes flashing along the ripples and undulations of the stream, Max continued to hum, walking along with a bounce in his step. He knew he had performed well – outclassing even his Captain back there – and felt delighted with himself. Ahead of him walked Tyson and Mark, Tyson peering at Mark's little computer screen as Mark chatted away happily, trying to keep himself steady before the operation truly began. He seemed a nice enough chap – always smiling, always bubbly. He never seemed to get down or depressed – despite the fact that Jenny yelled at him for the good portion of the day. Tyson watched as Mark jabbered on – in Liverpudlian, (which Tyson had decided was a completely different language from his own) - about a load of computer files and figures (that Tyson, incidentally, did not understand _whatsoever_) and tapped his keys to achieve impressive statistics on the screen. Behind Max and Rei walked Dave and Jenny, and even further behind, as if in a world of his own, was Kai. 

Jenny and Dave were talking in that strange sort of nervous, happy fashion, almost as though they were trying to keep each other's spirits up before they went into the HQ. Dave had revealed that in his letter from home, his girlfriend had sent bad news – she had grown bored of waiting for him to return and had found somebody else – which was a common occurrence amongst women of war. Though his heart felt a little sore and rejected, Dave knew he had to concentrate on what was right ahead of him. 

"So, was ye' dead upset, or jus' like 'yeah, well, anuvver day, anuvver bird'?" asked Jenny as she hurried along, her short legs having to move twice as fast as Dave's long ones to keep up. Dave shrugged. 

"It didn't really bother me. I couldn't see that relationship lasting anyway."

He paused. "I don't believe it!" he said, suddenly smiling, the nervous happiness in his voice quickly becoming genuine, "I just completely understood what you said!"

Jenny laughed. "Yeah, well, ye' used te' me now, aren' ye'?"

Dave smiled pleasantly, his spirits lifting lightly off his shoulders. Then, he looked ahead, and caught a glimpse of the destination, and his heart felt like a brick again. Jenny watched his face fall.

"Don' worry," she said, watching the building through her thick glasses, "We'll be fine."

Walking along behind them and staring at the floor, Kai listened in for a moment before sighing to himself. He had known this wasn't right for him. 

_How can I lead a squad when I can't make a straight decision myself?"_ he thought, furrowing his brow as he walked along, his head down, _"I'm not sure I can trust myself with their lives. And with what Rei just told me. . ."_

He sighed again, not noticing the gentle fall of snow that had begun again as it settled into his hair and eyes. He only looked up again when Rei called his name. 

"Huh?"

Rei watched him for a moment, looking a little concerned, before continuing. "I suggest we try and take the basement route. You mentioned that there was a basement, right Jen?"

"Yer, unguarded an' everyfin. Last time I looked it was, anyway."

Rei smiled determinedly. "Okay, we'll enter through the basement. But . . . do we know where it is?"

Mark piped up, pleased to be involved. Usually he was just obeying Jenny's brash orders, but now he had a chance to prove himself.

"From lookin' at me computer map, I'd say it's just te' th' righ' o' th' buildin'," he said rather proudly, and began to lead the way ahead. The others followed a little further behind, the weight of the mission beginning to take hold of all of them as they glanced at the building to their left and wondered what it had in store for them. 

Mark began to slow down. 

"Me map says it isn't far from 'ere," he said absentmindedly, his eyes following the computer screen instead of the floor and the path in front of him. He finally came to a halt and turned to look at the squad, who followed tamely, silently, not really having anything to say. 

"This is it," said Mark, grinning. "I can't believe I finally 'elped yez out. Feel a bi' privileged."

The majority of the group smiled, pleased that the lad felt useful. Nodding, Mark turned around and walked toward the building. 

"Righ', it should be in fron' o' me."

For some strange reason, the team didn't follow him. They didn't know why. None of them could explain it. It was lucky that they didn't.

Mark walked straight into the path of a claymore mine. There was a strangled yell as it set off, and then the air was filled with a vibrant white light, almost like a thousand tiny shooting stars flooding through the darkening sky, along with tiny flecks of red and beige. They shot everywhere and the squad dropped to their knees and hit the deck. The sparks flew through the air in a sick, beautiful fashion, both ugly and wonderful. There was a blue hue of smoke as the sparks began to die down. The eruption had passed. 

Tyson was the first to his feet. He could hardly believe what he had just seen. A member of the squad was gone, just like that. It was hardly comprehendible. With a 'clink', Mark's personal computer flew into the soil and lay still. Tyson didn't want to imagine that there were pieces of the boy lying in the area around him. He simply swallowed and turned back to the rest of the squad, who were standing again. Their faces were pale, and their eyes were wide in horror and shock. 

"Unbelievable," muttered Dave, shaking his head. "We were just talking to him. Gone, just like that."

The rest of the squad seemed to be thinking along the same lines. It was so hard to accept that such a young, promising boy had just been blown away in a flash of cruel butchery. It didn't seem right or fair. 

"We've got to keep moving," said Rei, steadying his voice appropriately, "We need to make this quick."

"That mine will have set off some sort of alarm," commented Max, "It wasn't there for nothing."

"Then we should hurry," finished Tyson, "before it's too late."

Rei turned to Jenny, who's face was paler than he had ever seen. 

"You okay?" he asked gently, knowing that she and Mark had been tight friends for years. Jenny nodded sharply, although her eyes were glistening with angry, shocked tears.

"I'll live. 'Ere, I'll use me own computer. Scan fer more mines."

With the click of a few buttons, Jenny had pulled up a two dimensional scan of the area. She then typed in the command for a metal scan – and the computer found another three mines, all surrounding the basement. However, there was a certain path the squad could walk, and they could avoid the mines if they were wary of their step. 

She led the way, treading very lightly and carefully, watching the ground as well as her screen. Dave followed directly, then Tyson, Max, Rei and Kai. Seeing Mark being blown up so sharply had merely lowered Kai's spirits even more, and it was all he could do to resist stopping and turning back there and then. 

Jenny finally led them through the safe path, zigzagging through numerous shrubs and bushes until they all gathered around a small, wooden door in the building. It was painted grey for camouflage but it had worn away in parts and looked rather pitiful. It was bolted, and Dave, after checking with Jenny to make sure that the basement was unguarded, slid the bolt open and pulled the door ajar. 

All six soldiers entered into a dark, dingy room, which smelled strange and felt unnervingly chilled. Obviously the outside air was cold, but there was something very different about this. 

They couldn't see much, especially when the door was closed behind them. They walked down a ramp of sorts, not very steep, listening to their footsteps echoing and their laboured breaths ragging through the air. 

Max decided to light a flare, even though he was conscious that doing so might make it easier for BIOVOLT guards – who were surely aware of their unauthorised presence at that moment – to find them. The light was welcomed by the squad – and then shunned completely as they saw what room they were in. 

It was an interrogation cell. 

Actually, it was four cells, each filled with one inhabitant. The cells were about two metres wide and three metres deep. They were bare and empty with no decoration. There were no beds, no lavatories, just a bare, empty, bloody space. 

Tyson stared at each of the cells, his eyes wide with nausea. He could hardly see the people in the cells but he felt he didn't want to. It disturbed him too much to even think about what had been going on in those cells. 

Max, however, felt inclined to move over to the cells. He peeped into the first and glanced about inquisitively, his blue eyes shining in the light of the flare and giving him an odd, hungry look. He peered through the metal bars and gasped. 

The person inside was in an almost indescribable state. His trousers were black with excretion and dried blood. He was skinny and covered in cuts, bruises and worse. His whole body was masked with a layer of brown dirt, and Max could barely see the whites of the person's eyes as he looked up at the flare. 

"I've already told you, I know nothing."

The whole squad gasped that time, and even Tyson ran over to peer in through the bars. For the voice was that of Robert Jurgen, an English aristocratic boy, about eighteen years old, whom they had battled not too long ago in the world of Beyblading. 

"Robert, is that you?" asked Rei, pressing his face against the bars and trying not to flinch at the smell. Max tossed the flare in and the boy picked it up weakly, his fingers barely able to grasp the thin flare. The hooked nose, sharp eyes and stiff lip could be made out, and they all knew they had come across an old friend. He didn't seem to be able to speak very well. His lips were swollen with ebony scabs, and it looked like even moving his mouth would hurt. 

Kai broke his stare and felt about the cell. It was barred – with about six bars, it seemed. He ran his hands over the metal until he found a bolt with a padlock locked about it. That was what was keeping Robert shut in. 

"Hold on . . . " he muttered as he reached for his Uzi. He made sure the silencer was clipped on and then stepped back a little. He lit a flare of his own and jammed it quickly through the 'U' shaped hook of the padlock, and then took aim, firing very quickly and blowing the padlock open. Slipping his Uzi back into its holster, he fiddled with the padlock until it fell off and slid open the bolt. The door swung open and Rei, Tyson and Max hurried into the tiny cell, barely fitting in. They lifted Robert onto their shoulders, as his legs were far too weak for him to support himself. They moved him out of the cell and sat him down gently. 

"What happened, Robert?" asked Max, looking the ailing boy up and down. Robert looked up at him, his brown eyes dull and lacking enthusiasm. All of his stateliness and majesty had disappeared. Robert was barely alive.

"We're part of a Special Forces Squad from Britain," came a rasping voice, and the team turned to face another cell. Kai grabbed his flare and tossed it over in the direction of the voice. It landed square beneath the feet of another prisoner. Rei spoke up.

"What's your name?"

"My name?" answered the man. He was about thirty, with an unshaven beard and a grizzly appearance. He didn't look in nearly as bad a state as Robert. Well, he was missing an eye, but that may have come from previous experience. He didn't look to be in much pain, anyway.

"Depends who's askin', lad."

He was Irish, and his voice was tinted. However, it was clear and pleasant, and the boys felt obliged, despite the lack of surprise they now held, to answer. 

"I'm Rei Kon, Second Lieutenant of Squad Seventeen of the Chinese army. With me are members of the Japanese army, and one member of the British forces. We're here to help."

"Don't give too much away," warned Kai quietly, "Walls talk."

The man chuckled. "All right, lad. Don't you worry yourself about me. I'm not gonna talk."

"Definitely not," answered Kai nonchalantly, "because we're getting you out." 

He repeated the same procedure as before and blew open the man's cell. The man staggered out, smelling awful and limping. 

"Aye, feels good to be out. I'm Doug Charlton. Call me Dougie."

As Max lit another flare, they could see the man had a wide, broad build, and looked experienced. Kai blew open the other two cells in the hideous room, not even asking who was in the cells. One occupant was dead and had been for days. The other was talking quiet gibberish to himself, his head matted with dark red blood, obviously recently inflicted, and he seemed completely out of it. 

"That's Reedy, of the Thirteenth Squad of the Regiment." Dougie continued as he moved over to the group, "He's been here for weeks. Me, I've been in a couple of days. Robert there's been here a while, too. Pity. Young lad, eh?"

Max nodded. "Yeah."

Dave spoke up, knowing that it was essential to move. Time was running out. 

"Um, guys, we can't lug Robert and Co. around with us. We need to get them out."

"Wait a second," interrupted Kai, "Charlton? Why are you here?"

Dougie paused for a moment and then answered, "We four were part of Intelligence. We were attemptin' to find out exactly who was in charge, as well as sever ties between BIOVOLT and their supplies. They caught us so easily, and I still don't know how they did it."

Kai nodded, his eyes glinting in the unnatural light of the flare, which glowed magenta in the black room. 

"You guys need to get out of here. We can't escort you and you can't come with us."

"Well," chuckled Dougie, "I can't exactly carry two people, can I? We'll wait in our 'locked' cells, and hope that you get done what you're here to do. We've waited so long to escape. We can wait a little longer."

Rei smiled. That was courage if he ever recognised it, and he saluted the man in the darkness. "Good luck."

Dougie grinned, a gold tooth flashing in his burly face. "Aye, and to you."

Operation _Sui Generis_ left the area quickly and kept moving further into the basement, wishing they'd had time to ask Dougie about the security in this place. The rotting smell soon left them and they found themselves moving downhill.

They stopped after about ten minutes to have short break. It seemed they were in a widened out area, with no doors (they had come across no doors or openings whilst they had been walking. It had been like a long slope) and a level floor. To their right was a relaxing, swishing sound, which they all recognised but could not place. They grouped together and planned what to do next.

Rei and Kai stood apart from the others. Tyson moved over to listen in to their conversation but got little of it at first.

"Play the tape back again Rei,"

A small, squiggling sound, followed by the click of a button being pressed. A hazy recording, including crackles and incoherence. 

There was a hiss of anguish from the two boys as they listened, and then they re-wound the tape and listened again. Rei had a highly advanced radio that consisted of a radio and a tape recorder so he could record briefings and so on. 

Tyson heard Kai's voice. He seemed to speaking to the radio more than he was speaking to Rei.

"What do you mean they haven't arrived?" asked Kai, rubbing his waist, which was beginning to get more than a little sore, "That's impossible!"

"It's no joke," muttered Rei, his face looking suddenly tired, "The Chinese are going to have to stand alone."

Tyson, listening in to the boys' not so private conversation, gasped and leaned against the nearby wall, overwhelmed by the magnitude of Rei's last statement. Rei and Kai noticed but didn't mind that he had listened in – everybody would have to know sooner or later anyway. Rei glanced back at Kai with worry written across his deep amber irises, glowing in the dark.

"We're done for."

With his heart sinking deeper into his chest and thudding rapidly, Kai could only agree. 

_"This mission's been wrong from the start!" _he thought despairingly, his strong will crumbling inexplicably about him. He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Did they give a reason?"

Rei nodded, though it was practically invisible in the low lighting. "You know how the RAF were going to airlift the men into Tokyo today?"

"Yeah?"

"BIOVOLT found out – don't ask me how! They seem to have ears everywhere, and when the RAF dropped the first batch of one hundred, they were mown down by BIOVOLT troops. Every wave of men they tried to land was simply taken out. At the moment they're pulling back. From what I understand, China is shipping her forces over to Japan in two days time, and will try to simply plough through BIOVOLT forces."

Kai shook his head harder, finding that his head was suddenly aching. "That's impossible. It's like a suicide mission."

"The British say they'll be able to ship their own forces over as back up, but it'll take at least a week . . . "

Rei trailed off, his voice cracking. He knew they were now up against impossible odds. They had been hit with crisis after crisis after crisis and their wills were wearing thin now. Kai ran a hand through his hair, having already confessed to never wearing a helmet. 

"So what are our orders?"

"We haven't been given any."

It was then that the two noticed that the whole group was listening in on the conversation. Kai and Rei looked at each other blankly, before Rei spoke up.

"It's up to you guys. What do you want to do? Do you wanna turn back – or do we carry on with the operation and try and help out the major Chinese forces?"

There was a short silence. Then Dave scoffed.

"_Sui Generis_ means 'Never Again'. This is our only chance. We can't come back to this."

Tyson reiterated. "Yeah, and besides, we're not about to leave a job half done. We're in now, aren't we?"

Rei smiled, encouraged, as Max took over. 

"We're here to save people," he glanced over at Kai, who was still looking at the floor, "and that's our job. Let's finish this. We can't leave everybody hanging like that."

Now Kai smiled, his heavy heart lifting a little. The immense load of pressure had been too much for him to bear, and now, with the help of his friends, he was surviving. He nodded. 

"Jenny?"

There was a bleeping sound, and then Jenny looked up, her face lit in the light of the pale red flare. "Wha'? Oh, righ'. I was jus' analysin' this basement, an' it turns out we've nearly reached th' end. We can eiver go straigh' ahead, and reach th' door which leads te' th' first floor – or, we can use th' water supply next ter us."    

Kai was interested. "What? How can we use it?"

Jenny smiled. "Ah, there ye' go then. Now we're gettin' into it! Th' water supply next ter us is actually th' stream from outside. It leads upwards – frew a succession of wide, round pipes – into a small reservoir on the second floor. Th' water's used te' generate lecky up there, te' power th' 'eavy machinery an' so on."

"What's 'lecky'?" asked Max curiously. Jenny sighed. They really would have to keep up with her.

"Electricity."

"How big are the pipes?" asked Rei, fascinated already. This seemed like his sort of plan. It was cunning and devious, yet clever and direct, and would get them to exactly where they needed to go.

"Ther abou' a metre in diameter. There's also a point abou' 'alfway up where th' pipes create a kind of delta and widen out into like a mini reservoir. It's abou' a twenny-five metre trip in all – abou' th' lenf of a swimmin' pool."  

Rei looked about at the squad, their faces lit in the suddenly pleasant glow of the flare. "If we each light a flare and follow each other carefully, we should be able to do it."

Every face nodded in determination. That was it. They were set. 

"Erm, just before we go," said Jenny, "Th' room we exit into is guarded by a single guard. Actually, I know 'im quite well. Name's Jeremy – Jezza fer short . Fat geezer – we used te' sing 'oo ett all th' pies?' and 'e got really miffed. Whoever gets up there first'll 'av te' pop 'im off."

They all looked at her. She sighed. "Jus' coz I've got a waterproof computer which guides th' bloomin' way doesn' mean I 'av ter go first!" she snapped. There was a silence. 

"Fine, if yuz ain't got th' bottle, I _will_ go first," she said, with her nose in the air. Kai laughed – for the first time in ages – and beside him, Dave laughed also. Jenny was growing on him more and more by the second. Rei merely smiled, and Tyson and Max giggled with each other.   

Jenny walked off towards the sound of running water – the sound they hadn't quite been able to place earlier. It had been so difficult because it was so unexpected in such a dark, eerie place. She drew a flare out of her pack of eighteen – each of them held one pack of eighteen flares at their belts – and lit it. 

She was faced by the reflection of the pink flare in a pool of water. It was about five metres all around, which was bigger than they expected. Peering in to the dark water, one could just about see the opening to the pipe they would swim into. It looked a little scary. 

"Good fing I can swim like a bloomin' fish, innit?" she muttered to herself as she tightened the band about the back of her head that her glasses were connected to, which stopped them falling off. She turned and looked at the boys, flicking on her computer.

"I 'ope yuz can all swim."

They broke out into smiles again, and Tyson laughed to himself. He'd been able to swim for a long time. He watched as Jenny took a deep breath, and then pencil jumped into the water. Dave followed her immediately, and Tyson watched as she made her way through the opening of the pipe – which was quite wide and not too daunting. Max followed Dave, and, as Dave crawled through the pipe, Tyson lit his flare (the flares were fortunately waterproof) and leaped in. Rei waited for a second, not quite knowing whether to say anything as he and Kai stood there, but then found it was his turn as Max entered the pipe awkwardly. He struck up his flare and leaped in, growling as he hated it when he had to swim. Kai waited for a second, watched as Tyson crawled into the round opening of the pipe, and then struck up his flare. 

With the rather foreboding thought of _"I wonder if I can still swim?" _flashing through his mind, Kai took a breath and dove neatly into the water. 

_There can be miracles, when you believe,_

_Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill._

_Who knows what miracles you can achieve?_

_When you believe, somehow you will,_

_You will when you believe. _

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Sherbet Mayhem: Hoo, well that was a long one. It's 03:21 am, but I didn't spend all of that time on the story! Oh no! I watched the Kerrang awards (which were surprisingly crap – ooo, the spirit of Rock'n'Roll is still alive because people smash tables up and get really plastered! Yeah baby . . . sarcasm here folks) and I also discovered that my tape hadn't taped V-Force and got really mad at the TV. Oh well, I saw it anyway, (I tape every episode – I have every one on tape!) and I can tape the repeat tomorrow at five o clock. Yay. *waves flag*.

So, how d'you like 'Taking the Plunge'? Yeah, that was the cheesiest title in the world! Hee, hee! I love it! Lol! Come on, what else could I have called it? So, yeah, read and review, you know the drill! 

The lyrics were 'When you believe' by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. Beautiful song – if not a bit cheesy for my taste. I put it in because it links to the flashback at the start. Or maybe it was because I couldn't find any lyrics on my big list of song words (yes, I write song words down if I really like a song – now _that_ you can laugh at me for because it's _really_ sad! I have this really huge file of them on my computer! Including such classics as ALL THE SONGS ON THE LION KING and a ton of . . . urghh . . . Abba. I love them too much to delete them, yet the music is so kitsch!) that involve swimming besides 'Going Under' by Evanescence and I was hoping to use that in a later chapter – does that give you any clues? Nah, doubt it. It's just kind of water-related. And the next chapter has plenty of water, let me tell you! There's no flashback today because frankly I can't be bothered. See how good I am to my fans? Do I even have any fans? Lol! 

I know the beginning of this chapter kind of sucked, but I think the later part made up for that. What do you think? Tell me, honestly, in your reviews, please, my pretties! Oh, and good news! I GOT A JOB! ! ! It's pathetic – two pounds fifty per hour for working in a lousy newsagents! Still, money is money, but honestly, I'm worth more than that *head swells, hits ceiling and comes back down*! 

Better be off now. It's half three and I have to be up at eight tomorrow. I'm meeting my friend and going to the library to upload this baby for y'all. Oh, the things I do for you. *Someone throws tomato and yells 'get off the stage!'* Okay, I'm going. Gonna wrap up in my nice warm bed because I've been majorly cold for the last two days! Brrrrr! Inexplicable, that's what it is!

I'm off to have a kip. See ya soon, everyone, and REVIEW! ! ! You know I'll hunt you down if you don't. I'll sniff you out, as it is my ambition to be a sniffer dog. (Oil pastel, are you reading this?) Or an Egyptologist. NAH I'm kidding, I'm not _that_ sad! (apologises to anyone who would like to specialise in those career options – they're not sad, but my friends and I used to know this freaky stalker lad who wanted to be an Egyptologist so we always rip it out of that job! He also sniffed a lot and waved his hands like a crazy idiot and so we thought maybe he was training to be a sniffer dog – oh, the maturity of our humour. Now _that's_ sarcastic!)

See ya soon, and God bless x x x

Sherbet o_0  


	8. Going Under!

Sherbet Mayhem: Howdy dowdy folks, it is I! Here once again to give you a tasty helping of candy-striped goodness and sugary delight – all wrapped up in one wholesome chapter of WAR! Chapter eight, to be more specific. The time is 21:39 pm. Quite early for moi!

Everybody seemed to like Chapter Seven, which is a good thing! 

I really had better get on with this. I own . . . everything I did in the previous chapters, plus an ICE-CUBE TRAY! (how lazy was that?!?! Lol) Mmm, ice! It's good to chew on! 

Whoever told me that it's Lake Baikal and not Bikau – how weird was that? I mean, when I was writing chapter seven I hadn't read your review yet. So I went and looked it up in the Atlas myself because I knew it wasn't right but didn't know what was. So after I checked it and stuff, it turns out that you had just reviewed chapter six and told me that it was Baikal! That was so scary! Thanks! ;p

Thank you to all who reviewed the last chapters! Please review this one too!

I don't usually mention people in my disclaimers until the last chapter of a story (even though I've already mentioned a few people in this story already!) but I really have one particular shout out to make. Lindsay, I really honestly don't know what to say. You are such a fantastic person, and I'm so thankful that you are my friend. You have been my total support beam while I've been writing and . . . I don't actually know how to put this . . .  I am so honestly amazed by what a wonderful personality you have, and it's just been an utter privilege to know you. You've given so much to me over the past few months that I thought I'd let you know, just in case you ever need a support beam of your own, that I'm right behind you. These lyrics seem to do the trick . . . 

"_Sail on, silver girl, sail on by. _

_Your time has come to shine; all your dreams are on their way._

_ See how they shine!_

_ If you need a friend, I'm sailing right behind."  _   

What more can I say but 'thank you'? God bless you x x x x (email me if you want to know who wrote those lyrics . . . you may already know . . . )

Well, enough of the slushiness *wipes tear from eye dramatically*! Man, I'm freezing! My stomach muscles keep tensing up because I'm so cold – and you probably think I am the craziest person in the universe to admit that to you guys, huh? :p  Best get on with chapter eight!

Here we go then! Now where did I put those ideas . . . 

Readers: -_-*

Sherbet mayhem: Hee, hee!  

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Chapter Eight: Going under

Max squinted his eyes shut as he felt the impact of the water on his face. It was freezing – Max felt as though he were being grabbed and tousled by a thousand icy hands with long, piercing nails and a rough touch. Still, he shook it off. He had to swim fast. 

Directly in front of him was Dave, swimming along the pipe smoothly. The sub-zero temperature of the chilled Russian waters didn't really seem to bother Dave. He simply made his way along the pipe, using the sides of it to propel himself forward with his hands. His legs merely kicked behind him for extra speed. In fact, he needed that speed, and not just because he would run out air soon! Jenny was difficult to keep up with. Okay, so she swam really weirdly, with her feet kicking out in an unorthodox fashion (making her look like a frog), but whatever she did it gave her a ton of speed. Dave hurried along behind her, keeping a close eye on the girl as she followed her computer screen – fortunately, her computer was still able to work in up to fifty metres of water. Behind Dave swam Max, following Dave's example of propelling oneself with the sides of the pipe. 

Tyson followed confidently, being an able swimmer. He had taken lessons when he was younger and had completed a lot of his martial arts training in water. He'd never thought that learning how to stay under water for longer periods of time would come in handy. Right now, he said a silent thanks to his grandpa for teaching him that.

Soon the pipe began to narrow, and it became rather unnerving and more difficult to negotiate. In the lead, Jenny slid through the cylindrical shape, pulling herself along. It was entirely daunting – constantly thoughts skipped and flashed into her head of getting stuck and drowning – plus the men behind her would die. However, she continued, attempting to keep up the speed, and her lungs starting to throb. Her computer read that there were about eleven metres left to go, and she smiled as she swam out from the pipe and into an underwater cavern, feeling that a little 'breathing' space was a welcome refreshment. The rest of the team followed her, the open space a relief.

As Tyson entered the exit of the reservoir and entered the pipes once more, which were now widening out again, Rei glanced about himself. It was impossible to see much, and a lot of the time he had his eyes squinted almost completely shut. The water flooded them and hurt quite a bit, and it was easier just to use his hands and feel along the pipes. Still, the lack of pipe in the open reservoir had forced him to look around, and he just caught sight of Tyson entering the pipe up ahead. A dull throbbing beginning to make itself known in Rei's chest, he grinned, knowing that there were now only eight or so metres left to traverse. 

As he swam forward, Rei felt a sharp burning on his hand, and, glancing down at it, he found that a few sparks from his flare had settled on his hands and begun to burn the skin. Grimacing and reacting as any human would, Rei snatched his hands back and let go of the flare. The water about him became dark, and he couldn't see a thing except the flare, moving away as though carried on a gentle breeze, floating. 

Rei followed the flare, exasperated, back to the tunnel he had just swum through. He finally caught up with it as it came to rest on the lip of the circular exit to the pipe, and reached down and picked it up. Feeling the welcome warmth of the flare on his hand again, he turned to swim away, and used his legs to kick himself off the lip of the pipe for some extra speed. 

Rei hadn't known exclamations could be heard under water.

As he pushed with his legs, he heard something like a muffled, distorted "Ow!". Turning, despite the fact that his chest really was beginning to hurt him now, Rei stopped short and had to stop himself from crying out as Kai dragged himself through the exit of the pipe by his arms. 

Instantly seeing that Kai was in difficulty, Rei swam back as his friend shook his hand in annoyance. Rei had stood on it and Kai was glaring at him. Rei spread his hands defensively with an innocent expression on his handsome face. However, Kai didn't seem to pay much attention. He pulled himself a little further, one hand already occupied with the burning flare, and looked about the wide reservoir. It would be troublesome for him to cross. 

After he had dived into the water, he had immediately felt difficulties, but he had attempted to ignore them. He did not want to slow the team down in any way. The fact that the alarms had gone off already, when they were only just into their mission, had disturbed him, and he knew speed was of the essence. However, it was quite difficult to keep a steady, swift velocity when his waist felt like it was about to snap. It seemed to be easier to pull himself along using the gritty slopes of the pipe and so he did. The wide space he was entering into would cause a problem, and he was running out of air. Plus, his hand was hurting.

_"Dumb Rei . . . " _he thought, irritated. He'd been in tighter spots – but they hadn't been underwater. 

While thinking, Kai felt a pair of strong hands grasp him about his stomach. Jumping (not jumping up and down, jumping as in 'startled'), thinking perhaps he had been caught and preparing to defend himself, he tensed as he was swept upward. He lost his grip on the lip of the pipe and cried out, growling at the sudden loss of air. Looking up and feeling rather helpless, he glanced sight of a black bang of hair and a glitter of amber eyes. Rei was 'carrying' him across the wide, open area. 

Rei pushed Kai through into the pipe, his lungs beginning to feel like exploding, and entered in himself. Kai made it up the pipe pretty speedily, soon catching up to the rest of the team. Eventually, when all of their chests honestly did feel like bursting open in a hungry attempt to steal some much needed air, the pipes led into an open expanse, about ten metres deep, and the team found themselves surrounded by terrifying turbines, swirling about in the water and creating a nuisance of a current. The steady 'chug' of the machinery could be heard plainly through the water waves. 

Jenny fiddled quickly on her computer, her sight beginning to go blurry. She found what she had hoped to see – the computer indicated where the guard was. 'Jezza' appeared to be sitting on the opposite side of the room – which was large and deep. Knowing that the team would be safe if (and only 'if') they surfaced quietly, Jenny kicked upwards with her strong legs, thrusting hastily towards the surface. 

She broke the surface of the water momentarily, only surfacing to grab a mouthful of air, and then quickly popped her head back under. She almost collided with Dave, and grabbed him firmly about the shoulders. With a quick gesture of putting her finger to her lips, Jenny successfully indicated to Dave that he _had_ to be very quiet. With a nod, Dave swam upwards and broke the invisible wall of surface until his nostrils were in the air. He breathed quietly, relishing in the blessed oxygen. 

He smiled as Max and Tyson popped their heads up simultaneously and sharply took in a breath or two. They were louder than he had been – but not loud enough to be heard. There was a little wait, during which Dave spun around in the water and looked around, and finally Jenny, Kai and Rei broke the surface and allowed themselves the relief of oxygen, colour returning to their faces as it swelled about their bodies. 

When they had recovered sufficient breath as a unit, Jenny began to whisper to them. 

"Jezza's round th' corner. Oo's got th' best aim 'ere?"

All eyes turned to Dave – who blushed. He didn't like having all the attention, but he did have a fantastic aim. Part of him was pleased to have finally been given some responsibility but the other part cringed at the pressure his teammates had immediately laid upon him. Still, he nodded.

"That'd be me."

Plus it gave him a chance to impress Jenny.

"Where is he exactly?"

As Jenny handed him her very wet computer, Dave pulled out his gun, making sure the silencer was loaded on. Although the alarms had gone off already, he didn't want to let BIOVOLT know where they were, did he? He loaded his Minimi and grasped the computer, scanning the screen with his dark eyes. The brown in them flashed as they caught the dot that represented Jezza the guard. 

"This'll be a cinch," he said confidently, swimming towards the position Jezza was in. He avoided a few pieces of noisy machinery, which were chopping up and down in the water, and then swam close about a large rusted pillar. He could smell the copper on it; ripe and wet. Looking at the computer, Dave could see that Jezza was still in that same position. Peering about the copper red rustic column allowed him to see that Jezza – an obese guard with little hair – was sitting down and reading a newspaper. Dave smiled.

_"Too bad you slept on the job, buddy," _he thought as he took aim. His finger tensed as he cocked the gun, and prepared to fire. He was thriving – the pressure was egging him on. 

Before Dave could fire, he felt a sharp jolt in the centre of his back, and he gasped. A strange sinking feeling followed, and, unsure of whether he really _was_ sinking, Dave let himself lapse into the cold, comatose world of blackness that beckoned him so invitingly. 

******************************************************************************************************************************

None of them had seen the sniper watching them from atop one of the giant machines. Jenny's computer hadn't even picked him up. However, once Dave had taken the hit, _Sui Generis_ looked up and spotted their assailant with little difficulty. 

"DIVE!" yelled Kai quickly, sensing that they were out of their depth in more ways than one. He quickly moved under the water, knowing that the murky water in the room would be difficult to aim through and the team were safer underwater for a while. 

Meanwhile, Tyson heard the order to dive, but paid little attention. It registered in his mind, but he had no intention of responding. Instead, he moved just under the surface of the frothy waters and swam along like a crocodile pursuing its prey. He knew what he was hunting. 

He swam to where Dave had slipped underneath the water and dove deeper, squinting his eyes through the murky depths to try and spot his friend – knowing that lighting a flare would be his downfall. Luckily enough, he had moved very quickly, and was not far away from Dave, who was falling through the water with his eyes closed, blood streaming from a hole pierced deep in his back. Eyes widening, alive, Tyson swam down, his heart thudding cruelly, and he grabbed his friend about the waist, swimming back towards the surface. 

Max grabbed him before he resurfaced, and shook his head. It was then that Tyson remembered that he couldn't resurface without having his head blown off. 

_"Hmm, problematic . . . "_ he thought cynically, tired of all of this playing and waiting. He looked about and saw Jenny, Rei and Kai had gathered about him. Rei and Kai were signalling something to each other that Tyson could not understand. Jenny seemed to – she was nodding along. 

Kai turned so his back was facing Rei and Rei immediately reached into Kai's backpack, pulling out the lethal M16 machine gun with its laser sight and grenade launcher attached. 

"They're not gonna . . . " 

Tyson doubts clouded his head, and then dissipated as he realised there was nothing they could do beside use the grenade launcher. Could they launch? Not in this murky water. What were the chances of hitting the sniper and Jezza? If they used the grenade launcher, they would be able to take out both of the guards with little aim. However, they did run the risk of blowing up the machinery. 

Kai ran his hands along the weapon. It certainly was impressive. The M203 grenade launcher, fixed at the top of the machine gun, glinted in some sort of dull lighting, probably from the overhead lights in the ceiling. 

A bullet whizzed past their heads, and Kai and Rei darted in the water, gasping and choking on the dirty water. 

_"The sniper even saw the glint in the bullet!" _thought Max as he whirled around in the water, checking that nobody had been hit. Everyone seemed to be all right, despite the obvious lack of breathing going on. Kai and Rei rejoined, as it would take two of them to fit the thing together. They tinkered with the weapon for a few moments until it was ready, and then Kai turned in the water, his hair brushing into his dangerous eyes as he looked upwards. A glance at his friend told Kai that Dave was unlikely to survive. 

_"Enough is enough,"_ he snarled to himself, gritting his teeth as he pulled the trigger. Instead of firing a round of machine gun clips, a small grenade launched from the gun, spiralling through the muddy water at a breathtaking pace and leaving a white trail of whiz behind it. It burst out of the water and slammed into the nearby turbine – the one the sniper had been standing atop of. 

The sniper cried out and slipped into the water as the turbine groaned and began to leak gussets of spray water. Back under the water, Kai swivelled to his right and let rip with another grenade, this one slightly more accurate and squaring Jezza right in the gut. The man blew up before he even knew what was going on. 

Tyson swam up quickly, pulling Dave along with him. His head broke the surface and he gasped in mighty gulps of the air, yanking Dave's head out of the water so that if he was still breathing he could indeed breathe. His friends popped their heads up besides him and delighted in the absolute rewards of air they had been given. 

"We have . . . to move!" gasped Rei in between mouthfuls of ice cold oxygen, "They'll be in here quickly!"

"Where do we move to?" cried max in exasperation, noticing with a disapproving eye that the water level was rising quickly due to the leakage of water from the turbine. Hot steam was also making its way about the room and threatened to engulf them and burn. 

"Well, we can take th' normal exit," Jenny yelled, attempting to be heard over the sloshing waters and hissing steam sprays, "bur'I wouldn'a'! BIOVOLT'll be all over tha' by now!"

"Are there any other exits?" asked Kai quickly, allowing Rei to slip his shoulder underneath his arm. Admitting that his legs felt like lead was not a problem to Kai right now – he had more important things to worry about. He welcomed the extra support, and Rei smiled. 

"You okay?"

A nod from Kai confirmed this, and Jenny spoke. 

"Nah, not really. There's only tha' exit. But there _is_ a shaft we could use . . . 'cept it's in the top righ' hand corner o' th' room!"

The group looked upwards in dismay and saw the exit that Jenny was referring to – a square ventilation shaft high up in the far reaches of the area. Rei shook his head. 

"You want us to fly up there or something? Don't be ridiculous!"

Jenny pouted. "Shurrup, Rei! I know whar'I'm takin' abou'! 'Av _you_ got any better ideas?"

Rei fell silent. She did have a point. The water levels around them continued to rise, and Rei growled a small waved splashed over his face and water went up his nose. Kai slipped away from his support, gazing upwards at the shaft.

"Isn't there any other way out?" asked Tyson, still gripping the unconscious Dave tightly. The boy hadn't woken up. 

"We don't need one," said Kai, still staring up at the vent shaft in the corner. The rest of the team stared him, bemused. 

"What?" asked Rei, "Oh great, the steam's gone to his head!"

"That's ENOUGH, Kon! Snap out of it and don't you dare disrespect me again." clipped Kai callously, suddenly more abrupt than Rei was used to. He fell silent, annoyed that he had been spoken too in such a manner, and Kai continued. 

"Listen to me. The water's risen this much so far, and we only bust one turbine open. They obviously hold a lot of water. There are . . . " he spun about, his eyes scanning rapidly, "five more left. If we bust them open we'll flood this area. The water level will rise quick and fast and take us up to the shaft."

"Oh, great plan!" cried Tyson, "That's brilliant!"

Tyson prepared to load up his weapon when he was interrupted by Jenny. 

"Wait a sec, ye' dingdongs. Kai, we flood th' room, an' as soon as th' water level's high enuf we clamber inter th' shaft. Grea' – 'cept fer one fing."

Rei looked at her. "What?"

Jenny sighed, as though it bored her to be in the company of such imbeciles. "We climb outta th' water an' scramble down th' shaft. Wha' 'appens when th' water floods th' shaft – which it _will_ do?"

There was a short silence. Jenny, once again, had made a good point. It seemed their plans to escape – though almost brilliant – were not quite up to standard. 

"Wait a second!" said Kai and Tyson simultaneously. They looked at each other. 

"What were you gonna say, Tyson?" asked Max. Tyson waved a hand. 

"That we should just face BIOVOLT head on and hope for the best through the regular exit. How about you, Kai?"

Kai shook his head. "I think you get dumber by the day, Tyson. What chance would we stand if we did that?" he smirked and then looked back up at the shaft. "Everybody start emptying your bags. Take out everything you need and hook it into your belts – it can be done. Leave your spare change of clothes in there – you'll understand soon enough."

They stared at him blankly. "NOW."

Shaking her head in utter bewilderment, Jenny unloaded the contents of her bag into the water. She caught the heavier things quickly and stretched out her elasticated belt, slipping the items behind it and letting it spring shut and hold them in tight. The rest of the squad did this also. 

"Leave behind the pieces of the 66 rocket launcher," instructed Kai, "They're too heavy to carry at your belts. Once you're done, grab your bag and keep hold of it."

The team did as their Captain told him, honestly starting to wonder whether the steam had gone to his brain and sent him a little bit strange. Rei obliged in irritation – he hated not knowing what was going on. 

"Done?" asked Kai when they were finished. They nodded. 

"Right. Take on the turbines."

"WHAT?!?" cried Rei, "You must be out of your mind, Kai!"

Kai sighed, looking very annoyed that his team kept on questioning his orders. "Fine, I'll do it."

The M203 was already well prepared, and Kai fired another succession of grenades. The effects above water were spectacular. The tiny green bombs flew into the metallic sides of the strong, durable turbines, collapsing their innards. Guts of water and steam spilled out in a flurry of jet spray and cascaded in a beautiful torrent into the murkier still waters below. The water level rose very quickly, and the team could almost feel themselves being carried upwards.

"Kai, what did you do that for?" snapped Max when Kai had ripped open all of the remaining turbines. Kai merely kept his eyes on the shaft, which was becoming nearer by the second. 

"Have I ever let you down?" he asked without moving his gaze. The team looked a little warily at each other. There was that time when he had betrayed them in the World Championships . . . 

The shaft was only about two metres away now. The water had risen very quickly but had also heated swiftly too, and was getting slightly uncomfortable. Rei fidgeted, and Tyson checked on the still form of Dave. He was trying to stop the blood from leaking from poor Dave's back but there was not much he could do until they were out. He merely waited, hating the fact that his friend lay dying in his arms and he couldn't do a thing to help right now. 

"When we get high enough, climb into the shaft," spoke Kai suddenly, "When you're in the shaft, move down it as quickly as possible. Jenny, you lead, and direct us as well as you can. Speed is of the essence here."

Jenny nodded, probably the only one that had faith in what Kai was doing. She thought she might suspect what he was thinking, but didn't want to venture. Her thoughts were focused on Dave, his blood clouding the already clouded water and tearing at her insides. 

The water rose in an impulsive churn and the team were swept upwards a good half a metre. The shaft was not within grabbing distance. Jenny reached up, but was a little on the short side, and Rei had to give her a boost up. She scrambled into the square, grey steel opening of the vent and disappeared through it, with a cry of, "Come on, ladies, let's move it!"

The others followed and the water continued to rise quickly. Soon they were all safely into the shaft and moving down along it – all except for Kai, that is. After looking down in the water at the unconscious form of the sniper and staring at it for a moment, he remained at the entrance of the shaft. His eyes followed the surface of the water as it continued to rise, the turbines some feet below persisting in their distribution of liquid, chugging and hurling it into the room. The water sloshed against the walls with a threatening slush as Kai began to pack the entrance tightly shut with the team's bags and clothes. The bags were waterproof, as were the clothes, and he soon had almost the whole entrance bagged up. He made sure it stuck with a _lot _of duct tape – as he had packed some into his own bag the night before the mission began.  

Water began to spill through the cracks in the barricade, and Kai cursed to himself, raising up to start on the top of the barrier and banging his head on the low ceiling. He ignored this and packed up the small space left just as the water reached it. He then reached down to his own feet and unlaced his boots, wondering what the hell he'd done to deserve this. 

"Crummy deal . . . "he muttered to himself as he pulled off his sopping boots to unveil his white socks. He yanked them off with difficulty – they stuck to his feet they were so wet – and used them to clog two of the three tiny gaps in the makeshift damn he had skilfully created. There was one little hole remaining. 

_"So do I use my underwear or just tape it?" _he thought with a grim smile, _"The underwear would be more effective . . . but . . . "_

He opted for the later, and soon the hole was duct taped firmly shut. The barricade swelled with the slosh of the water, and Kai knew that it would not last long. As soon as the room filled with water, the turbines would continue to pump more into the area, and the pressure would be too great for the flimsy barrier to hold. However, it did for the next couple of minutes, and Kai turned and crawled down the shaft, his boots hanging in his mouth by the laces. He crawled along until he met up with others, who had found a little duct where the space was wider and they could group and stand without any difficulty. They were all saturated. Tyson had laid Dave on the floor and was currently wrapping his back with the best bandage he could find – a strip of material from his shirt. Rei looked at his as he entered, his eyes strangely bright behind the mess of smudged camouflage and muddy water that cloaked his face. They all dripped puddles onto the metal floor – the shaft was about half a metre in height, but this space was about one and a half metres in height.  

"We have about two minutes before that thing breaks," said Kai darkly, tying his bootlaces once more. Jenny nodded. 

"Well, this shaft leads te' th' main computer room on th' second floor. Only problem is – whar'if th' water hits th' computers?"

Rei smiled at her mischievously. "Have you forgotten what we're here to do, Jen?"

Jenny paused, thinking, her breathing hard as she caught her breath. "Oh yeah' That saves me a hell of a lorra typin'!"

Max laughed. "We flood the room. Brilliant. It couldn't have worked out better."

"That depends on who's in the room," interrupted Kai quietly. Rei glanced over at him. 

"What do you mean, Kai?"

Kai finished tying his lace and stood up slowly, grimacing as he straightened his legs. "I – Ow! I mean that it won't be so easy to break through that computer room. It'll be guarded."

"We can pick 'em off from above," piped in Tyson, tying Dave's bandage and standing up. "We _are_ in a ventilation shaft, you know."

Kai was silent for a moment, and he looked at the floor before speaking to them all.

"The sniper who shot Dave . . . "

Max raised his eyebrows. "What a punk. Did you see him Kai?"

Kai nodded, his face taut and very sombre. 

"Well?" pressed Tyson, suddenly intrigued by Kai's silence. Kai sighed and ran a hand through his hair, which was soaking and sticking to his forehead. His dark eyes glinted precariously, fiercely

"It was Spencer from the Demolition Boys."

Tyson gasped and felt the sharp intake of air rush at his lungs. He looked down at Dave, the still, motionless form on the ground, and tears pricked at his eyes. Looking back up he could see that Kai too was wrestling with something deep inside. Kai and Spencer had despised each other, and instead of feeling sweet revenge at Spencer's death, Kai felt only betrayal. Spencer was still there, mocking them, laughing. If Dave died, Spencer would certainly have the last laugh. 

And with that came another flurry of terrifying thought. Kai wondered – if Spencer was still able to reach him – still able to hurt him and his loved ones – were the rest of them? Were Bryan, Ian and Tala on their track, planning to haunt them once more? Would . . . . would . . . 

_"Is Boris still haunting me?" _he thought, fear gripping him like it hadn't before. He had thought he had buried the skeletons of his past. Obviously they were still there, pulling at him, drawing him down . . . 

_Long lost words whisper slowly to me,_

_Still can't find what keeps me here,_

_When all this time I've been so hollow inside . . . I know you're still there . . . _

Rei watched Kai for a moment and tried to imagine what was running through his teammate's head. He knew Kai was worrying about his past – of course, it had just re-emerged in his face. Worries filled Rei's mind too, but he knew they didn't have time to think. They had to move – and yet he found he was rooted to the spot. Looking up at Tyson – whose eyes were glistening with tears of passion and anger for his fallen friend, Rei's heart stirred, and he could only stand there. 

He looked once more at his Captain, who was drowning in his own thoughts. Finally, he stepped forwards, sensing that the entire team were lost in perilous chains of thinking, and tapped Kai on the arm. 

"Shouldn't . . . shouldn't we go now?" he said tentatively. Kai snapped his head up, registered the question and nodded. 

"Let's move. Jen, you lead the way," he ordered rather quietly, still half dreaming. When he had seen the floating form of Spencer, memories had hit him in a rush of guilt and denial. This couldn't be real – how could they still be damaging him from afar like this? Would he ever be able to put the past behind him like he should? Why couldn't they just . . . 

"leave me alone!" muttered Kai as his team moved forwards quickly through the shaft. Only Rei stayed behind. Tyson had slung Dave over his shoulder and carried him skilfully. 

Rei glanced at Kai's face. "Kai?"

Kai didn't even bother to look up this time. He remained lost in his silent thoughts, and Rei felt the urge to speak. 

"Are you scared?"

That did it. Kai snapped out of it completely. 

"What? No. Let's move."

Surprised, Rei nodded. He hadn't meant his words to be bait to rile Kai up in any way. He was serious – after all, he was terrified himself. If Spencer was there . . . well . . . 

_"Bryan . . ." _

_I know some things never change, but this can't be one of them._

_I don't think i can stand it any longer . . . _

_Are you scared?_

_'Cause if your scared you're not alone._

_I once thought i was brave._

_But I can't stop crying._

******************************************************************************************************************************

Sherbet Mayhem: YES! Done! It's a whole 01:37 am. Oh no, 01:38 now. Lol. I have college tomorrow! This is so unfair!

Just a quick note to say how sorry I am that it took me a whole week to update – but I'm afraid that's how it's going to be from now on! You see, I got me a job . . . it's rubbish, honestly . . . and it eats up a lot of my free time. Also, now I'm back at school, I get a lot of homework. I work all day Saturday, and so the only real free time I get to work on my story is on a Sunday afternoon between morning church and evening church. Kind of a problem. Oh, and, like now, after evening church – but I can't keep doing this. My brain is going to melt. So I'm afraid that updates will be once a week – usually on a Monday, me thinks. I don't have the net at home and so I have to wait until I get into school on Monday to upload the chapter. It should be Monday right now when you're reading this . . . wait, it IS Monday now! It's half one in the morning! ARGHHH I'm off to beddybyes! 

Oh, the first set of lyrics were 'Haunted' by 'Evanescence'. My concert tickets came in the post yesterday! The second set of lyrics were by an artist called 'Kendall Payne' and the song was called 'The Second Day'. Fantastic lyrics there, they really are. 

Hope you enjoyed 'Going under'. Please REVIEW ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Email me if there are any problems or queries – or just for general chat! I love to email new people all the time – how do you think I met Scarlet diamonds (Bey-girl-nicky for those of you who didn't know her name changed). Though I have to say, if you were a scarlet diamond, you'd be like a ruby or a garnet or something. I'm not sure if you can get real scarlet diamonds. You know, when you say 'Scarlet Diamonds' it makes me think of Dorothy's shoes in the Wizard of Oz! "There's no place like home!" Remember, her shoes were red and diamondy? Ah, never mind. I'm goin' to bed. Ciao! 

Sherbet Mayhem x x x

God bless x x x x


	9. Bright Eyes

Sherbet Mayhem: Hey and hello, guys. I'm back. And I'm gonna be the nicest I've ever been to you guys – and not waste thousands of minutes of your precious time on huge and pointless disclaimers. I own everything from last week plus a silver Lord of the Rings ring (actually I do. My brother got me it for birthday! It cost . . . I'm babbling aren't I?)

Can I just ask, is it me or is enthusiasm for this story dropping off? I got like four reviews for chapter eight (which I am very grateful for, but please. Four reviews for like four hours work? That ain't much). What happened? Did the story get like overly crap or something?

On with Chapter Nine.

Oh, and sorry about the even later than usual update! I was gonna do this Sunday night, but I was just too tired. So I'm doing it now, Monday night instead of my 'Othello' essay. Oh look what I give up for you *tosses script of 'Othello' over shoulder and into waste paper basket and chuckles* ! ! ! 

*****************************************************************************************************************************

Chapter Nine: Bright Eyes

_~Is it a kind of a shadow, reaching into the night?_

_Following a river of death downstream . . . or is it a dream?_

_There's a high wind in the trees . . . a cold sound in the air._

_But nobody ever knows when you go . . . or where do you start?_

_Fall into the dark . . . ~_

Rei peered through the grate beneath him in the vent. His fingers were pressed slightly into the grooves of the grate and his eyes flashed as he watched the room below. The plan was to flood the computer rooms as . . .  planned. However, the group had to make sure that _they_ were out of harm's way by the time the water hit the computers. Although the equipment was sometimes waterproof – as Jenny suspected was the case – the water would be able to stop anybody using the computer of operating it and so would shut it down. 

"Clear, Rei?"

Rei had moved to the front of the group as he had very sharp eyesight, and was checking the room below so it was safe for the group to drop into. Of the original group, Tyson, Jenny, Max, Kai and himself were still able to operate. Mark had been blown up just outside the BIOVOLT HQ and Dave, although still alive, was in a critical condition and needed attention fast. Right now he was slung over Tyson's back, his breathing unsteady and laboured and his pulse slowly dropping. 

Rei had been questioned by Max, who was directly behind him. He shook his head and whispered his hurried response. In about two minutes time the vent shafts they were currently in would overflow with water. The plan was to move into the hallway, sealing the rooms behind them as the water cascaded through the pipes and onto the electrical equipment – therefore rendering BIOVOLT weaker than ever before. 

"Two guards. Armed. That's all I can see. Room's about seven metres wide and eight long. The computer system's huge."

"There's anuvver room next te' this one," hushed Jenny, typing on her rather wet computer. Remarkably it still worked as quickly and reliably as ever. From the back, Kai spoke quietly, not quite whispering. 

"Max, can you pick 'em off?"

The blond boy nodded, quickly removing his Eagle and aiming. He was getting very good at this – upsetting for Tyson, who entirely disapproved of Max being allowed to handle a gun – yet fortunate for the team because he had a fantastic aim on close distance shots. He slipped the nose of his gun through a gap in the grill of the shaft and picked off the first guard easily. The second followed quickly, not being given time to call for help because of Max's admirable shooting. The two bodies crumpled to the floor, tiny pools of blood amassing about their lifeless faces. 

Max slipped his gun away and he and Rei began to undo the screws on the grill. It didn't take them long – desperate fingers (although a little wet) can be surprisingly efficient when put under the right amount of pressure. Soon the black bolts were slid out from the metal. There was still about a minute to spare when Max and Rei ripped off the grate and dropped lightly into the room below. Jenny followed heavily, having approximately _no_ balance, and then Tyson. Kai remained up top, lowering Dave gently into Tyson's grasp, before dropping down himself. 

"We'll only be able te' flood _one_ room, ye' know," commented Jenny as she looked around the room. Kai nodded. 

"I know."

Tyson, now with his friend loaded safely onto his back, queried this. "Why only one?"

Rei answered. "Because the vent leading to this room stops a little way down from here," answered Rei, "The next computer room is connected to a different series of vents."

"Which means you'll have to hack into the other mainframe?" asked Max. Jenny nodded, the camouflage on her face completely messed up because of their underwater adventures earlier. 

"Let's seal off this room and get out then," Tyson suggested, understanding now. He wasn't thinking too much at the moment. He was greatly concerned about his friend. As mentioned earlier, Tyson hated the fact that he could do nothing to help Dave, whose life was literally flooding away through his back. Tyson had applied a makeshift bandage a little while ago but it really wasn't good enough. 

Kai moved over to the heavy metal double doors that sealed the room off from the rest of the corridor. They were a deep grey with two small circular windows in the middle of each door. The room itself was semi-circular, with large black and grey computers along the edges of the wall. The floor was tiled and slightly annoying, as they were all very wet and kept slipping a little on the floor. He noticed that to open the door a swipe card was required – and so he pulled it out of the pocket of one of the dead guards on the floor. Max grimaced. 

"That's like stealing from the dead, Kai!"

"Any better ideas, Max?" asked his Captain dryly as he swiped the card. Max faltered – he hadn't – and the doors swept open. 

For a moment, they didn't move. The whole group stood still – showing sense. Kai, nearest to the door, his blue slashes merging with the greens and blacks on his face and giving him a strangely disturbing look, peered out cautiously into the hallway, checking for guards or resistance. There were no guards in the hallway. 

"Looks clear," commented Kai, glancing left and right cautiously. Jenny moved forwards. 

"Weird. Last time I was 'ere it was full o' guards."

"Not any more," responded Max, looking out onto the hallway himself. It was long and slim, a lighter grey. This whole place was just a thousand different shades of dull grey. It was so depressing, almost like a prison. Or a tomb. 

"Let's move it," said Rei confidently. It seemed safe enough. He stepped out into the hallway first, looking around cautiously, his heart thudding in his throat so very realistically. The team surrounded him, leaving the door open for a moment. 

"Th' room's there," Jenny pointed out, and she took a step forwards, her rubber trainers making little noise on the tiled grey floor. Discretion had been essential in the operation – but now it seemed to have deserted them.

A range of bullets sprayed by their heads immediately. Jenny cried out and leapt backwards into the room – landing on Tyson's toe and making him howl in pain. 

"OW! Jen!"

"Sorry!" she cried, exasperated, her hair hanging about her face, as Rei, Kai and Max sprang back into the room as another torrent of bullets whizzed past their heads. This was simply getting too dangerous. How could they avoid their enemy when they didn't even know where their enemy was?

Kai swiped the card automatically, and the doors moved shut, creating a water-tight seal as they joined. Rei peered out of one of the two windows, feeling rather ominous.

"What was that about? I couldn't see a single enemy! _Who_ was shooting at us?"

"More like _what_, Rei," answered Tyson, a trail of blood beginning to smear down his own back because of Dave's dripping wound. Rei spun to face the young boy, who was beginning to look a little tired because of the weight he had to carry upon his shoulders. 

"What do you mean?"

Tyson sighed, and shifted his shoulders so they weren't hurting as much. As stubborn as ever, Tyson refused to pass Dave over to someone stronger or take a break. In some strange way, Tyson had something to prove to himself – he didn't quite know how. He spoke. 

"In the walls there were a ton of tiny holes. When we were all out of the room, bullets fired out of them. Easy, really."

Kai stared at Tyson. "How d'you notice that?"

Tyson shrugged and then winced, and, before he could answer, Max interrupted: 

"Want me to carry Dave for a little while, Tyson?"

Tyson shook his head resiliently, shivering at the sensation of blood snaking menacingly, negatively, down his spine. He fell silent and the sound of the alarm could be heard distantly. Obviously it had only gone off on the ground floor. 

"What do we do now?" he asked, breaking his own silence with his own curiosity. After a slight pause and a gentle clicking of keys, Jenny answered. 

"From this room, I migh' be able ter disable th' attack system out there. I could ge' th' guns ter stop. Take me abou' firty seconds or sumfin. Oh, I don't believe this . . . bloomin' attack systems my bum . . .  "

She carried on muttering as she shuffled over to the huge computer mainframe system, still clicking away on her own mini computer – which had _actually_ taken a bullet and was still working well! Kai couldn't help think that Jenny had in her hands some sort of reincarnation of Dizzi.    

The others simply waited while Jenny took a seat in a large black swirly chair and began to type furiously at the enormous keyboard before her. 

"Ah, th' keys are dead soft, like them on a laptop!"

Rei rolled his eyes, and moved over to the door, looking once again out of the window. It was such a small view from there – only a miniscule picture of the outside of the room could be seen. He shivered – something about this place made him feel very uneasy. Still, he put it aside, knowing he had to concentrate, when Jenny spoke again. The sound of the nearby turbine churning and the swell of water was strangely loud. 

"I can't take down th' 'ole system. I can get rid o th' bullets outside, but ter bring down th' entire system I have ter get next door inter th' uvver computer room."

Kai nodded. "Okay. Well, disable the bullets, and you should have no problem."

Jenny nodded herself in agreement, and typed a couple more strokes. Then the whole computer bleeped encouragingly. 

"Righ'. Get ter th' uvver room."

The group nodded, and Kai swiped the door again with the tiny white plastic card. It was that sort of flexible, shiny material and it felt oddly smooth in his hand. 

_"Strange what weird details you take in when you're in a situation like this,"_ he thought to himself, _"I mean, I didn't notice the bullet torrents Tyson saw, but I'll never forget how this stupid swipe card feels."_

The identification sorter bleeped and a little red light flashed, and the doors slid open, parting in the middle and breaking that tight seal which would soon be locked if Jenny knew what she was doing on the other computer system. She stood directly in the centre of the group. 

She wished she hadn't. 

The doors pulled themselves open and she found herself facing two young guards. They were both male, of heavy build; tall too, and very powerful looking. They glared at her, each with evil spangles in their eyes. They stood side by side directly in front of her. One was taller than the other, with very bright red hair, and ice blue eyes, the colour of the Russian river they had passed earlier. His features were sharp and hooked and he grinned as the doors slid apart. The other was slightly stockier, with an odd type of lavender coloured hair, with funny side-bangs. His face, although pale, was dark, and his cold amethyst eyes glinted frighteningly. 

"Say cheese," they said in terrifying unison, and they both raised their guns – E-Light Minimi's. Jenny felt herself gasp as she closed her eyes, hearing the door sweep open to its full extent. 

Something knocked her about the legs and pulled her to the floor, and her eyes cracked open sharply as she banged her head. Looking about, hearing some sort of mêlée above her head, she saw that Rei had dragged her to the floor. 

"You okay?" he asked, not looking directly at her. She nodded and then clarified. 

"Ye'."

"Get to the next room," Rei said quietly, out of hearing from the others. Looking up in a not so confused state, Jenny noticed now that Kai and Max had literally flung themselves on their attackers, knocking their weapons away in the process, and there was an impressive brawl going on. Max was thrown out of the battle and skidded over to Jenny, who hadn't arisen yet. 

"Come on, Jen. I'll come too."

He offered a hand, and Jenny took it gratefully, pulling herself to her feet. A flurry of jet and amber to her left told her Rei had joined in the struggle, and without ordering her feet to move they did so, and she found herself flying, still clinging to Max's hand, into the room next door. Meanwhile, the brawl ensued. 

******************************************************************************************************************************

"Damn it, Tala!" yelled Tyson, gritting his teeth hard and then smiling as he realised he had grit his teeth with Tala's arm still clamped in between them. Yes, they had been attacked by none other than Tala and Bryan, two 'blasts from the past' with a score to settle. Most bad blood lay between Bryan and Rei, but Rei seemed intent on trying to break Tala's leg at that moment. Kai and Bryan merely rolled about on the floor, lips pulled back in snarls as they threw heavy and well aimed punches at each other. 

"Tyson, you'll pay!" replied Tala, following his words with a cry of agony as Tyson's canine teeth drew blood. He yanked his arm away, ripping at Tyson's face and causing him to recoil. Rei spun on one foot and swept Tala cleanly to the floor, and Tala landed hard on his back. This allowed Tyson time to return to the battle, but seeing Tala was in a weak position right now, decided to help Kai. 

The grey and lavender hair mixed as the two crashed into the swirly chair, clattering to the floor. Kai managed to land on top of the situation, and he pressed Bryan down, with his own hands impressed deep into the evil boy's shoulders. Kai had seen plenty enough of Bryan in the past to know he was an evil creation indeed. He intended to show the boy no mercy. Besides Kai, he noticed that the floor was getting very wet, and, looking up at the vent, he realised that the flimsy water barrier made earlier by himself was beginning to leak more drastically. They didn't have long. 

"How's your friend Dave, Kai? He looks a little out of it!" snared Bryan maliciously, breathless as he was. Kai growled and snuck a glance at Dave, whom Tyson had had to place on the floor to fight. The poor lad lay still, barely breathing, his eyes closed and his clothes stained with malevolent, wicked washes of weary crimson. Kai was about to respond in anger when he saw a boot flash by his own face.

"Don't you even think about bad mouthing my buddy!"

Kai nodded, rolling his eyes, and his suspicions were confirmed when he saw it was Tyson who had kicked Bryan in the stomach. Beneath him, Bryan coughed. 

"You'll never succeed in this! BIOVOLT will have its victory!" drolled Bryan in his dull, lifeless, monotonous voice. It was so ingrained, so emotionless, that Kai couldn't help but drag the boy up by his collar. 

One eye still on the form of Rei, battling with Tala, now rolling about on the floor as he and Bryan had been, Kai spoke quietly, aware that Tyson was watching him. So much rage he wanted to take out this lad, so much anger, so much hurt from all those years of guilt, lying, deceit . . . 

"Let me assure you, Bryan, that BIOVOLT will _never_ win."

With that, Kai swung himself around and slammed the well-built criminal into the wall of the hallway outside. There was a sickening snap as the boy's head connected on a bad angle, and Bryan fell to the floor, lifeless, his neck twisted into an unusual, impossible looking position. 

Tyson stared. Kai had just killed in cold blood. "K . . . . Kai?"

Kai looked back to Tyson from staring at the dead form of the boy, who lay outside the room. "Yes, Tyson?"

"You – you just killed him."

Kai sighed, feeling terrible himself. "I know – but Bryan was never alive anyway. He was just a shell, filled with BIOVOLT philosophies and regulations, ready to spout them out with a mix of cruelty whenever he spoke."

Tyson couldn't help but agree. This was true. And if that was he case, did the same apply to Tala? Was he really just an empty shell, swelling alive only with the chants of BIOVOLT brainwashing? As Tyson watched the boy scrawling about with Rei on the floor, biting, scratching, tearing viciously with no hint of conscience or mercy, rolling through the door into the lighter grey hallway, Tyson realised it was true of all who had retained their BIOVOLT training and thought process. 

And so he took out his pistol and shot Tala right through the middle of his face. 

Rei winced as blood and more splattered all over his own face, and he raised a hand to stop more pieces of effluence smacking him. "Urghh!"

Now it was Kai's turn to stare at Tyson, who slipped his pistol away into its holster. Things were so different now. What had happened had begun to change him too. Often in earlier times, Tyson would observe how the war and its events had changed people for the worse or better. He had always disapproved, as it had brought Max to almost an emotionless state on certain occasions. Yet now he understood. He understood what it was like to feel so much rage and pity toward a person that it seems better to let them die quickly. He understood why people did it now. He still didn't approve, but it is often remarked that understanding is the first step to approval.

"That's horrible!" moaned Rei, wiping a fleck of foreign blood from his lips. "Gross!"

"Suck it up, Rei," said Kai quickly, "We have to move. Look."

He nodded up towards the dark grey ventilation shaft, and Rei's eyes widened when he saw the steady trickle of water leaking from the open grill. A white object suddenly slipped out of the vent and landed near to Rei. Before he could pick it up, Kai had.

"Hey, my sock."

Kai rung out the tiny white sock and looked at it, in some strange way almost glad to see the thing. It gave him the impression that things could always return to normal, to how they should be. The sock had been where it shouldn't be – duct taped to a water barrier in a ventilation shaft. Now it was back with its owner. 

"Oh."

It had a huge hole in the heel. Kai sighed, his deep thought chain proving to be rubbish. 

"Typical," he said nonchalantly as he flipped the cotton material over his shoulder with a bored _expression. The wet thing smacked Tyson in the face and he yanked it off. 

"Thanks."

Rei grinned, amused. He then straightened and stood up after his brawl, stretched his arms, and blinked a few times. 

"Should we get going to the next room, guys?"

Kai nodded. "Yeah. This room is gonna flood soon. We need to get out and shut the door tightly."

"I sure hope this works," commented Tyson, brushing himself off. Rei grabbed a small handful of water from the floor as Kai answered confidently, "Why wouldn't it?"

Washing his face with his already dirty hands, Rei replied, "I think if things go to plan we'll be fine. It's just gonna be difficult getting things to go to plan."

"True," said Tyson, nodding. "Plus, we're following the plan of the Crazy One over here."

"What's that supposed to mean?" snapped Kai as he turned to walk away. He was not in the most amiable of moods. Rei chuckled and spoke light-heartedly. 

"Geez, lighten up, Kai! Things aren't going so bad! All we need to do now is seal this room off, and we'll be able to-"

"ENOUGH!" 

Rei shut his mouth, his eyes flashing. Why had he been interrupted?

"You don't seem to understand the importance of this," said Kai, turning just a little so Tyson and Rei could see one dangerous brown eye glinting in the weak light of the room. "What's with all the cracks and funnies? I think it'd be nice if you'd tone it down for a change and appreciate how serious this mission really is."

Rei raised an eyebrow. "There's no need to bite our heads off like that, oh mighty Captain Kai."

Tyson cringed and shook his head silently. Rei had already overstepped the mark earlier. Had he done it again?

There was an odd silence. Tyson looked with wavering blue grey eyes from one friend to the other, wondering who would speak first. Oddly enough it was Kai. 

"Yeah well, Rei, today you've given me reason to. You've been insolent to your authority and have given me trouble about following orders. I'm almost disappointed."

The voice was quiet, and Tyson felt it best not to even bother commenting. Rei's face simply sobered, and he looked down at the ground. Had he been that impudent? Sometimes, he saw Kai as such a good friend that it was difficult to see him as a commanding Captain in battle at all. 

"I'm . . . I'm sorry, sir."

He didn't quite know what to say. Rei felt so awkward all of a sudden. When Kai walked ahead with no remark, he felt even worse about himself. He couldn't believe he'd been such a jerk! Almost acting like a first year soldier, stepping out of line in immaturity and hating the officers! 

_"Man, I messed up," _thought Rei as he turned to survey the room one last time. Tyson picked Dave up gingerly from where he hadn't moved on the floor, followed Kai, and walked into the hallway. Rei realised, after gazing about the trashed room, that it was time to follow on. He felt so guilty all of a sudden and he didn't quite know why. Every soldier had stepped out of line once in a while. But to do it to a friend seemed quite different.

_"I'll make that up to Kai," _thought Rei, showing without himself even realising what a true, loyal friend he really was. To show so much dedication to a Captain that it hurt deep down to disappoint them was something out of the ordinary. 

An unprecedented  flash caught Rei's eye to the left, just underneath the swirly chair. He focused closer and scanned the object. 

"Oh, it's Dra-"

He was cut off by a loud whirring noise. Looking about in wonder, he stopped short as he saw the doors ahead of him beginning to slide shut. Outside in the hallway, Kai and Tyson turned around, Tyson having laid Dave on the floor again for a quick breather. 

"Rei, get out! The doors are closing!"

_"Why?"_ thought Rei, _"Who's shutting them?"_

He watched the inexplicable movement of the doors for a second, not worried. After all, Kai could just swipe him out again in a second. He'd pick up the flashing Beyblade from underneath the chair and then move it on out. 

"Rei, get out! We have to keep up the pace here!" cried Tyson, grinning. Kai folded his arms and closed his eyes. 

Rei nodded as he bent down and scrambled about underneath the chair, fumbling with his fingers until they wrapped about the hard, cold plastic and metal form of the Beyblade. He stood up, his inky hair lagging into his gleaming eyes, and took another glance at the doors. They were almost shut, and so he tossed the blade forward with incredible accuracy. It slipped right through the tiny gap left between the doors and right into Kai's outstretched palm. 

The doors shut tight. 

Kai caught the Beyblade and looked at it. It was Dranzer. It must have fallen out of his pocket in the tussle with Bryan. He smiled, knowing when to be grateful even if he was in a bad mood. He moved to the swipe receptor and swiped the already familiar feeling white card. On came the little red light and there was the bleep. 

The doors didn't move. 

"Hurry up, Kai!" came Rei's voice, "I'm getting bored!"

Kai grinned, and ran the card through again. It had gotten wet. 

The doors remained tightly sealed. 

Puzzled, Kai ran the card through another time. "It . . . . won't work!" He spoke more to himself than anybody else. For some reason his hands were trembling as he ran the card through again, and again, and again. Tyson watched, a bemused _expression on his face. Rei's face pressed up against the door. 

"Am I trapped in here?" came his amused voice. That was certainly one of the many good things about Rei Kon – he could never stay in a bad mood. He liked to be cheery and positive. 

Kai swiped the card again and growled. "Dumb machine."

"Oh no!" cried Rei in mock horror, placing a hand to his head in the window dramatically, "This cruddy little room is to be my grave!"

Tyson giggled, for some strange reason managing to feel somewhat relieved in the middle of all this tension. The escape from the flooding room, the vent, the battle with the boys, had left him feeling so stressed and edgy, overwrought with worry and exhilaration, that he felt he needed a laugh.

Wait a second . . . flooding room?

"Rei, that room really will be your grave in a minute!" yelled Tyson, suddenly banging up against the door desperately, "It's gonna fill with water!"

Rei's face fell visibly at the window. "What? Crud! Get me out!"

Kai was bent double by the swipe receptor. His wet fingers fumbled with the card and he swiped it again, only to see the light but no reaction from the doors. 

"Tyson," said Kai quickly, "Go get Jenny and Max. Tell her to try and unlock this door from the computer system in that room."

Tyson sped off, and Kai looked up at Rei, whose face was white in the window. The doors each had one small window, like the windows in the sides of boats that allow one to look into the sea when travelling. Rei's eyes were frantic and darted along the form of Kai. 

Kai shook his head, finding it difficult to hear the boy through the thick metal doors with their watertight seal. He glanced down the shining card, flipping it over in his hands nervously. Why wouldn't it work?

Another look at Rei's face made his heart leap and almost rip out of his chest. Rei had turned and was looking away, fear frozen onto his face, and, looking behind his terrified friend, Kai could see a literal waterfall of rushing waters whipping through the air and slamming into the ground at terrifying speed from the vent. The barrier had broken. 

Rei turned back to the window. "Help!"

Attempting to ignore the feeling of sheer panic that surged and pulsed through his body, Kai swiped the card again, not sure why he kept doing it. Tyson arrived at his side once more. 

"I can't get in! The door to that room is locked too!"

Kai's gaze darted up to Tyson's. "What?"

He had heard perfectly clearly. It was just so difficult to believe. Kai glanced back up at the door; about two metres high and a metre wide each, with their tiny windows. Rei's face was still there, and he was yelling. 

"Guys, let me out! Help me!"

Tyson was already frenetic. He banged on the door hard with both fists, the door which didn't have Rei's face at the window. "Hold on, pal!"

After another swipe of the card, Kai glanced back up, sensing each of his own heartbeats in his chest. He suddenly started at what he saw. The water was up to Rei's chin. 

******************************************************************************************************************************

"There we go, Max,"

With a final stroke of the keypad, Jenny was done, and she turned to face Max. "Th' defences are down. All th' doors automatically lock coz th' system's defective, bu' tha' doesn't matter. There's anuvver vent in 'ere, an' it's easy ter reach . . . we'll be out in a tick . . . "

Max located the vent first. This room was identical to the other room. Not particularly high, with a vent running across the ceiling. Jenny stood on a table beside Max and helped him open the grill in the vent, and clambered in. Using mini micro genius computer that never seemed to break no matter what she did, she guided herself and Max along into another couple of vents until they were finally over the main hallway. 

"What's all that banging?" asked Max. It was true – all that could be heard, apart from the distant bleeping of the alarm, which had somehow managed to stay on despite Jenny's valiant efforts to turn it off, were these strange banging noises. Thud, thus, thud, as though somebody was banging on a metal box desperately. 

The grill fell off, and Jenny dropped to the floor, followed by Max. 

"Guys, we did it! We disabled th' systems!" she cried triumphantly, spotting sight of her team. However, she didn't have time to talk more, as she felt a strong pair of hands shove her up against the wall. Blinking and gasping, she focused in and looked into the face of . . . 

"Kai?"

His brown eyes flashed something she had never seen in them before – fear. True, genuine fear, despondency, reliance, question. She stared. "What?"

"How the hell do you open these doors?" he said quietly, his voice sounding very hoarse and tense – he almost spat the words. Jenny frowned, a little confused. How should she know?

"I s'ppose tha' they must 'av locked when I shut down th' system. No chance of yer openin' them now with technology!" she grinned a little nervously as he put her down and let go of her. He turned back to the door of computer room one and moved to the window on the right hand side. 

Jenny followed him, confused, and then gasped again, completely taken aback. 

"REI ! ! !"  

Pressed up against the window by the fierce force of the water pumping into the room was Rei, his eyes wide. Water surrounded his face – in fact, it looked like the whole room was full. The computer system had not yet gone down, obviously, as the water was not yet electrified (as Rei was still alive). Jenny knew that some companies did waterproof all of their equipment. 

"Why's 'e in there?" she asked, her voice shrill. She then noticed Tyson, banging on the door frantically, his fists turning purple already with the force of his slamming. More banging could be heard too – the thudding of Rei, no longer able to call for help, simply having to slam his fists into the wall to signify that he was drowning. His face always remained close to the window, his eyes still bright, his hair floating wildly in the current. 

"Can't he swim back up the vent?" asked Max quickly, his voice surprisingly emotionless and stable. Hard, almost.

"No!" cried Tyson, "Why? He'd end up in the turbine room, which was also flooded! We have to open these doors!"

Kai swiped the card again desperately, now grasping with his fingers at the receptor, In fact, some of his fingers had cut and were bleeding with the force of him trying to get the tiny machine to do what the rest of them could not. The heavy doors, which had protected them so well earlier, had now become their enemy. The barrier was now a foe, not a friend. 

"Come on . . . "he muttered to himself, now swiping the card and looking directly up at Rei's pale face. His eyes met Kai's and they locked for a second. The look on Rei's face said it all. He wanted to know why this was happening. He wanted to know why his tam was letting him drown. 

"No!" cried Kai, slamming his fists against the door and then against the swipe receptor, which was on the wall next to the door. 

He remembered his grenade gun, and instantly fought for it about his waist. He had clipped it to his belt upon unpacking his bag earlier. However he could barely pull it out or prepare to use it because his hands were shaking so much. 

_"Hold on, Rei . . . "_

He finally prepared the gun, and reached into his pocket for a grenade. 

"Wait!" cried Tyson, "What if you blow Rei up!"

"We _have_ to do something!" yelled Kai in fury, his voice betraying his feelings for once. Sweat ran down his face in tiny droplets, and his stomach lurched every time he looked up at his friend, whose bright eyes were beginning to fade away and fall somewhere else. Tyson banged at the window. 

"HOLD ON! ! !"

Rei nodded faintly, his alert _expression turning dizzy. Why weren't his team helping him? Did they want to leave him in there? Had he been too much of a disappointment?

_"I'm sorry . . . "_ he thought sadly as his gaze began to falter. His lungs strained and jerked in his chest and a strange, pressurized hot feeling ran behind the length of his eyes and nose. His head felt light and his vision was blurred and swaying, as though in a whirlwind of a thousand radiation waves, all smearing into one giant wave form that vibrated in the evanescence of its being. _"I tried . . . "_

He could faintly see the shapes of his friends outside the glass, on the other side, free, breathing in the gift of air. And he faintly wondered how happy they would be without him to mess things up . . . 

Back outside, Kai checked his other pocket. 

_"This can't be happening . . . "_

Where were his grenades? Had they been lost? 

"Kai, you used them! On the turbines!" yelled Tyson. Kai's eyes widened briefly, and his pupils constricted in fear. He had nothing to help his friend with. 

"No!" he yelled, moving back to the window, his palms placed flat against the door, one hand still fiddling with the receptor and running the swipe card through it in sheer blind despair. Every glance at his friend wrenched his heart. 

Rei was going to die – and they knew it. And they could do nothing. 

Reality began to hit Tyson as he continued to bang against the door. His eyes filled through no will of his own but through sheer emotion swelling as a stormy wave through his body. The strength in his fists seemed to die with each and every fragile attempt he made to break down the evil barrier between them and their friend and with each and every tear that dripped from his shimmering grey eyes. 

"Please, no, don't let this . . . happen . . . "

_~Bright eyes . . . burning like fire . . .~ _

He continued to pound with all his heart on the door, his fists numb now. He looked over to his right, to the window where the ghostly apparition of Rei appeared. He was little more than a pale dream to Tyson now. He seemed so far away, although he was in reality so close. 

"Rei . . . "

_~Bright eyes . . . how can you close and fail?~_

Kai held Rei's gaze as long as he could bear to. His whole body shook with what was happening. Why was it taking so long? Was it hurting Rei as much as it was hurting them?

Inside the watery tomb, Rei's thoughts began to whirl into one. His vision darkened immensely as the glimmer light of life was moved further and further away from him. He knew now that he couldn't reach it, not even with his friend's help. It was gone. He couldn't swim against this current. 

He looked into his Captain's eyes again. They were the only ones he could see now, so burning and hungry, glittering now with feeling through the invisible barrier reef. He wanted to lift a hand, to show some sort of recognition, but hadn't the strength. His body was burning, crumbling, and his soul was stirring so gently beneath him, and he was a feather, suddenly floating upon a gentle summer's wave, the iridescent water's surface scintillating warmly in the golden sunshine radiating from the sky and from his eyes. And then the darkness fell, and the light was extinguished, and the scene for Rei drew to a close.

_~How can the light that burned so brightly . . . suddenly burn . . . so pale~?_

_~Bright eyes . . .~  _

******************************************************************************************************************************

Tyson couldn't hear himself shouting anymore, although he was aware of this. He could still feel, but that was all. Everything was running on one huge emotion right now. Tears were surging from his eyes and trailing down his cheeks in trails and streams of misery. He couldn't stop. He couldn't give in . . . he had to keep fighting for his friend . . . 

Tyson pounded one more time, his fist bleeding now, before another hand grasped his own and stopped it in midair. It was Jenny, and she stared at Tyson, his face a painting of anguish, a watercolour of tears and feelings. Her own face was similar. As Tyson choked back a stifled cry, she sobbed herself, and pulled him into an embrace. The two held each other closely, Jenny feeling Tyson's racking shoulders against her own and bursting into fully-fledged tears. Nearby, Max leaned against the wall, staring at the floor near the still form of Dave, his eyes blank. His heart moved a little, and then he blinked it away, and looked on at the floor, feeling awkward and bored. 

Kai still stared at the image before him. Just a second ago, those bright, reliable eyes had fluttered shut finally, after such a fight, after such an attempt . . . to . . . to just . . . 

The face slid from the window, falling away, as though a wisp of air on an evening's breeze . . . 

Unable to hold his own gaze, Kai sank, closing his eyes so hard to try and hold up his image. He couldn't break . . . not now . . . he couldn't . . . 

He felt his knees hit the floor gently and he stopped weakly, his breaths ragged and quiet. And there he placed his hand over his face, over his eyes, as glimmering tears slid through the fingers and dripped onto the floor with tiny splashes, inaudible to all. His shoulders shook as he still tried, still fought, so hard, to just keep it in, to keep it quiet . . . but he failed, and his head dropped as two or three tattered, frayed breaths escaped his form, shattering through himself and through those around him. The other hand clenched about his Beyblade, so warm, so fiery with sensation right now, so blameful and yet so blameless. 

A small, shiny card hit the floor with a miniscule clink, and lay still, and, within the murky blue prison, the body of a young boy, full of promise and light . . . full of expectation and impression . . . the body of a young boy who would be the best many others would have ever known . . . finally came to a gentle rest on the floor. 

_~ Bright eyes . . . ~_

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Sherbet Mayhem: Hi guys. The lyrics throughout the chapter were 'Bright Eyes' by Art Garfunkel. I don't wanna say anything to spoil the mood for you guys. I'll tell you something . . . even I was crying, and I _never_ cry at my own work. Well, I wasn't crying, ya know, just . . . there was something in my eyes . . . 

Anyhow, read and review! Oh, treachery 89, if you're reading, thanks for the shout out! I love it when people shout out with my name! YAY! Same goes for Mizu_Tenshi – an awesome writer. (If this isn't blatant advertising then I don't know what is . . . ). Also hello to scarlet diamonds (hey ! ! ! You know her stuff's awesome!) and Identity Thief – who I flamed a while back for not completing a very good story. I was very angry and I apologise formally. I don't mean to get all huffy on ya, and so I suggest that I compliment you on your new story because it's the proper thing to do – I hope you're reading this! Hello to Honest Abe (that's if ya reading!) and Otherworlder (Yo, were you at?) and everybody, go check out Laura_Sparrow. She writes Harry Potter fics (urghh!) but she's a friend! Danke schön (thank you in german)! Lol! Er . . . oh, hi Oil pastel! Everyone, read her fics, they well funny! One Beyblade one, one Lord of Rings one, one Pirates of Caribbean one! Very good! Jah! Hey there Drifting Soul, how you bin? Thanks for the support! Black Dranzer girl, thanks for all the reviews! If I forgot anyone, I'm sorry! Oh, there was that person who's name I can't remember and who said she loved it and was reviewing every chapter! THANK YOU! It's amazing when people do that! Hello also to Jess in Alabama – hi and howdy! How u doin? Lol!

Once again, sorry about the late update. But do you think it was worth it? Poor baby darling Bright Eyes! I wonder who'll die next chappie . . . hee, hee. Lol. Nope, I ain't finished yet, peoples! 

Now do that thang you go, guys and gals, and make my day! Ya know, the clickey thingy . . . that's the one. REVIEW ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! I'll update as soon as poss – won't be later than next Tuesday (er . . . lets' see . . . today is Tuesday the 30th September (oh, oh, Lindsay, it's one month till I go! And just over for you---hoo!) and so it'll be up by the 7th at least. That's a promise. Just so you know, the time now is 01:42. Thank you very much, goodnight. 

God bless x x x

Sherbet Mayhem x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x


	10. Nightmares

Sherbet Mayhem: Hi and hoooowwwdyyyyy doodle! Yeah. I'm BACK – and again I can't really be bothered writing another huge disclaimer *readers wipe brows in relief* erm . . . . you know what I own. Add a script of any Shakespearean play of your choice and there you go! But I don't own Beyblade. Oh no. 

Thankies to *all* who reviewed. Hope you're all enjoying things so far. I'm so tired, my eyes are barely open. If there are any ridiculous mistakes in this thing . . . sue me. And I know that's a terrible attitude (I will spell check this thing when it's done) and I'm well aware of the fact that this chapter was meant to be done by the 30th September and it's now like the eleventh or something of October. I've had a lot of trouble lately with friends, boyfriend and STRESS and work and stuff, but now the friends are friends again, the boyfriend is 50 miles away and I couldn't be happier (aw, he was nice, but he wasn't right . . . look at me, spreading my private life on the net!) and my work load, though still ever growing, is slightly less than it was last week. Ya know, I was up at twelve thirty last night doing History stuff? I should have been doing War, but NO, education comes first . . . blah, blah, blah! Honestly! Don't teachers understand where my priorities lie?

Well, once again, I'm sorry for the lateness of this update. I hope this chappie isn't a total let down after the last one – that tends to happen with situations like this one. HA! I made Rei die and you all hated it! Mwa ha! To everyone who said this was not a good move (or things of the like) and that it was too shocking or unpleasant or whatever (Otherworlder, I'm looking at you ;p  hee, hee, lol) then what can I say? Except that this story would be really *crap* without any drama and death, and my job as an authoress is to make the reader gasp. Writing, as well as music, theatre, and art, is politics. The idea of me writing is to persuade you to think the way I want you to think. To look at things the way I want you to look at them. That is any author's goal – and I'm not about to throw aside my principles for a couple of lousy emotions when this story could be one of the most dramatic I've ever written! If you were shocked or upset – I'm glad. Because – hey, that's what I get paid for. . . except I don't get paid . . . to do this . . . damn.  

Hoo, now that _that's_ off my chest . . . Janine, babes, you wanted a shout out. For any of you who don't know, Janine is my bestest, BESTEST buddy in the whole wide world (and, according to my parents, she is my lesbian lover – although I am NOT I repeat am NOT a homosexual and neither is she! Lol)! You may have read about her in "Hidden Adversary" (for those of you who _haven't_ read it yet, I'm advertising my other story. It's awesome; check it out!) She's amazing! And she gives me more help on these stories than I give her credit for – in more ways than even _she_ realises through encouragement and true loyalty. I know you don't believe in God, Janine, but I _know_ that He has blessed me completely with such a trustworthy and bubbly friend as you! I'm so thankful for all of your advice and your STORY PLOTS! ! ! Lol, I said it! Yeah, Janine helps me with the plot like crazy. In fact, I had a little of the plot for chapter 10 planned out, and I rang her about two minutes ago and she helped, for anyone who's reading! Janine, you are such a shining star (unnecessarily cheese-filled) and I have some words just for you – hopefully they're better than the Christmas card ones from last year, lol. God bless you, Janine. I love you so much J

"Thank you for being you, my friend. I'll always treasure you, as long as the sea continues to lap against the velvet sand shore and as long as the stars dance in the indigo spools of the sky. As long as the wind continues to sing through the branches and as long as the fire burns, raw in the night and bright with gold and power. Whilst the grass collects the dew of the dawn and the night collects the glow of the day, I will love you. For as long as the rainbow glimmers through the clouds and for as long as the heart continues to pulse I will stand by you. As long as the silver shines in your eyes and as long as the memories are engraved in the echo of time I will hold you close to my heart. Whilst strength still lies within my fingers and when years from now my grasp is empty, I will cling to you tightly. I will hold your hand firmly – and I know that you will hold mine in return."

Well, Janine, there's your shout out. You know I mean it because that last paragraph wasn't lyrics or anything – I wrote it! So there. Who says I can't write from the heart? Humph. Hope it sufficed. Lol. Anyone who read that, if you wanna use it anywhere, you can, but give me credit at the end. It took me a whole six minutes to write that! In fact I'm not even sure it took six minutes, but ya know, I worked hard on that! Lol.   

Anyways, on with the show. Enjoy ten. It's 22:08 pm. Voila!

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Chapter Ten: Nightmares

Tyson finally pulled away from Jenny's grip and she smiled at him, encouragingly, her face blotchy and the paint on her face streaked even further by the tears she was wiping away with a shaking hand. Tyson smiled back, much comforted, not daring to look left to the huge metal doors that opposed them. Instead he looked to Max, who leaned on the wall nearby, his face expressionless. 

"You okay, Maxi?" asked Tyson, his voice sounding a little strange. He sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve – he carried no tissues. Max lifted his ice blue eyes to meet Tyson's own grey ones, and smiled rather tightly. 

"Yeah. Fine. You?"

Tyson, somewhat taken aback by the lack of emotion or expression in his friend's voice, blinked and let go of Jenny's arms, which he had been holding to. "Um . . . yeah, I guess. We have to move on."

Max stood straight, his slim form moving away from the wall as he did so. "You're right there. And it needs to be quick."

He glanced down at Kai, who was on his knees, his face away from them and his grey hair masking his expression carefully. 

"You hear that, Kai?" asked Max, suddenly moving over to the silent boy, "We gotta move. Now."

Kai remained still, his fist clenched into a ball and his gaze upon the metal of the door in front of him. Max growled, the sound of the distant alarms becoming ever more present, and moved right over to Kai.

"Kai, I said we have to move! Forget it!"

Max grabbed Kai by the shoulder. Tyson and Jenny looked at each other and winced, knowing it was a big mistake for Max to make. 

Funnily enough, when they looked back at Max, he was still standing. Kai had done nothing to rebuke either the touch or the brashness of his words. Tyson merely blinked as Kai got to his feet with a sigh, his gaze trailing along the floor. 

Attempting to focus now on events ahead and not events that had passed, Tyson looked down at Dave. The blood from Dave's back was still spreading beneath the unconscious lad, still creeping out like a disease along the grey tiled floor. 

"Tyson?" cut Max's interruption, "I think you should leave Dave behind."

Tyson started, not quite sure he had heard right. "Huh?"

"Leave him. He's already dead."

Tyson felt his nose scrunch up, and a glance at Jenny told him that she felt the same way. Max seemed to be regressing even further into that world of no emotions, which Tyson dreaded so much. Earlier he had bordered upon its shadowy entrance at the death of Tala and he now realised it was best to avoid that vortex of emptiness and lack of feeling. Max, it seemed, enjoyed being pulled further and further in. 

"Max, you don't know what you're saying. We _can't_ leave Dave behind!"

Max sneered. "Why not? It's not like he's helping us at the moment!"

"Ye' can't just say that, Max!" exclaimed Jenny, looking at the motionless form of Dave, "It ain't righ'. E's a good mate. I wouldn't let ye'. What do you say, Kai?"

She paused, waiting a little smugly for her answer to come, knowing that Kai would side with her as he was good friends with Dave (well, to say good friends meant that Kai didn't hate Dave. He was never really friendly to many people). 

Silence. 

"Kai? _Kai_!" Jenny said, still looking at Dave, and then swivelling around to look at the boy. She'd never seen him like how he was then. His handsome face was so cold, so disheartened, and he simply looked lost. He continued to gaze at the foot of the metal double doors, his hands by his side, one wrapped around his Beyblade. 

Suddenly, as though realisation dawned upon him, Kai blinked, and then looked sharply down at his Beyblade, the blue material glinting in the overhead luminosity. His brows were suddenly furrowed, as though he were deep in thought, and his eyes scanned back and forth over the blade in his hands, the brown irises flitting. 

"No . . ." 

Max stepped forwards, elated that Kai had not answered and deciding to take over the role of leader himself. "Kai, move it. Stop missing what's long gone."

Max was about to say more when the blue blade suddenly shot past his head, missing by and inch or three, literally ripping through the air and slamming into the opposite wall behind them all, splintering into a multitude of pieces of sparking blue and crimson, coming to rest with a shower of tinkers on the tiled floor. The only piece that remained intact was the Bit-Chip. Kai had thrown his blade at the wall. 

"Why d'you do that?" asked Tyson, running over to the mess with his hands spread in surprise. Kai ran a hand through his hair. 

"I don't believe it. We could have done it but we didn't! I just can't believe that!"

"What?" egged Jenny, her face a little frightened looking, "What are ye' on abou'?"

Kai took a breath, knowing he was unsteady. "I mean . . . I mean that we could have used Dranzer or Draciel to help . . . to help Rei . . . and we didn't! How could I have been so blind?"

Tyson stared, agonised by the news. He couldn't believe they had forgotten one of their strongest weapons and had neglected to use it in a time of crisis. It had been a costly and terrible mistake to make. 

"You're right . . . you're right Kai," he said, his voice shaking again, "but we _have_ to move on. Rei . . . Rei wouldn't want us to give up."

Kai looked away for a moment, obviously pained by the realisation he had just stumbled upon, and then he looked back at Tyson, his face cold and hard. 

"Do you know, Tyson," he said, his voice starved of feeling and thirsty for emotion, "Do you know that Rei died thinking I hated him? He died thinking I was disappointed in him. Because they're the last words I spoke to him."

Dumbfounded by all this, Tyson didn't quite know what to say. Max felt, even with his distinct lack of sympathy at the moment, that it would be wrong to speak. Jenny didn't feel the urge to speak - unusual for her, but showing a mark of certain respect. Kai continued, his eyes still glinting, betraying the emotions that his voice forsook. 

"I respected Rei with every part of me. He was such a strong person . . . and I . . . "

He stopped, pausing for a moment to collect himself, feeling that a proper send off was required but not knowing whether he was in control of himself to the extent that he could conduct such a service. He decided to end on a more personal note. He turned to face the great grey double doors. 

"Rei, it's better to die standing than to die on your knees. You, my friend, were . . . you flew the whole way_._ _Dulce est decorum est."_

He fell silent once more, closing his eyes for a moment, paying respect in his own way. Behind him, Tyson blinked away a few fresh tears, that familiar turning feeling in his stomach becoming more apparent. Over to his right, Jenny muttered a prayer under her breath, closing her own eyes for just a few seconds. And lastly, Max simply leaned back against the wall, his nose wrinkling in a tiny scowl, and he rolled his eyes in annoyance. The only thing on his mind at the moment was the fact that they had to get moving. He glanced down at the pieces of beyblade on the floor and his scowl increased. Gently he fingered his own beyblade, wondering how _anybody_ could ever just throw their beyblade away. His own Draciel was precious to him. He'd never ever even think of risking its existence through some angry fit of self-denial. Still, Kai had never been the most predictable person, and, glancing down at the shattered blue shards of plastic and glinting slices of metal glimmering in the manufactured light, Max noticed that the bit chip had not been destroyed. Although the rest of the beyblade had been destroyed – probably beyond repair (and, mentioning that, who was there to repair it? Kenny, the best repairman the Blade-Breakers had known, had been burned to death in a fire a few weeks before), but the bit chip was still intact. 

Max looked up at Kai. His back was turned, his eyes closed, and, while Max had the chance, he bent down very subtly, very quietly, and slipped the tiny Dranzer bit beast into his own pocket. 

Suddenly, Kai opened his eyes and turned around. Max hastily leaned against the wall, closing his own eyes. Kai watched him for a moment, his face blank, and then breezed past. Tyson looked at him.

"Where are you going, Kai?"

Kai stopped, and then turned to face Tyson. "To the next level. We have to move ourselves on, Tyson, in more ways than one."

Tyson, struck by how much more delicately Kai had spoken of their present situation, smiled, nodding in agreement. Besides him, Jenny grinned. 

"No time like th' present, righ' lads?"

Max stepped away from the wall.

"I still think we should leave Dave behind. He'll slow us down too much."

Jenny whirled around before Tyson could offer another weak protest. "Listen, Max. I don't know what's up wiv ye', but listen close. We leave _nobody. Imagine if _you_ was Dave. Would _you_like te' be left be'yind?"_

Max glared at her, still adamant that he was right, but knowing his argument would be quelled if he tried to put it forward again. He merely wrinkled his nose in annoyance and shrugged. "Fine."

Jenny seemed satisfied, and she followed on to where Tyson stood. "Shall we lift 'im, Tyson?"

Tyson nodded with appreciation, and he allowed her to lift the limp Dave up with him. It felt a lot better now that there were two people holding him. Tyson was beginning to realise that no individual effort in this game was to be rewarded. After all, Rei had certainly managed to save Kai's beyblade, but for what cause? He had died for it – all for nothing. Kai's beyblade was now destroyed – although he _had_ noticed that the bit chip had survived. He peered over at the small pile of rubble that once had held the majestic phoenix. 

"Wh---what?"

He blinked and looked again. "Kai, did you pick up your bit beast?"

Kai looked at him. "No."

"Well, Dranzer was there before, and now he's gone. I could have sworn that it wasn't destroyed before. Where'd it go?

Kai frowned. "I – I don't know. And I don't care."

Tyson's brow furrowed as Kai turned and began walking towards the end of the corridor. There were a set of metal stairs awaiting them there. They looked like they went on for some way – when outside the building they had noticed how tall it was. This staircase led to the top floor of the building and so it must have been high.

Kai waited for Tyson to pass him with Dave and then Jenny. He didn't want them going at the back, simply waiting to be ambushed. That was far too risky – and he felt determined not to lose another member of his team. So many had been lost along the way already and their mission was not even complete. What made things worse was that they still had to escape once they had finished what they had come to do. 

That singular task lay directly above them. They had to find Voltaire. 

And kill him. 

Kai no longer felt any sort of emotion about murdering his own grandfather. After watching Rei die, helpless, vulnerable, innocent, before his eyes, thanks to his own grandfather's destruction and evil intention, his heart had hardened irreversibly to his relative. It almost sickened him to think they were part of the same family – but Kai was never melodramatic if he could help it. He would settle himself with seeking revenge. And seek it he would. 

Tyson begin the long climb, followed by Jenny, carrying the form of Dave, which left a steady trickle of blood as they traversed the case. Behind Dave followed Max, who watched the floor. It seemed that Max had lost touch with the outside world – and the inside of his own heart and soul. Tyson knew that Max had never been like this in nature. Environment had shaped his every thought now, and he was turning into a moulded shell of war crime and tragedy. 

_"That's a tragedy in itself"_ thought Tyson, his face a mask of determination although his heart bled for his best friend. Max and Tyson had always been so close. Yet this war was ripping them apart so cruelly. The throne of Max's heart was cold, and it would now be so difficult to reach the tender soft underneath the freeze now. Would Tyson ever have his friend back, or would Max be claimed by the war? Was there a face behind every scar?

_"The war can claim people without killing them – or even touching them," _thought Tyson, _"This is so evil."_

Behind Tyson, Jenny hitched Dave's legs and tightened her grasp. The past half hour, for her, had been one of turmoil and madness. Her mind raced even now, and she couldn't focus on one single thought. Her heart beat rapidly, and not because she was exhausted. This was true pain – this experience. Death clawed through them all with outstretched grasp and piercing strength. She couldn't help wonder who it would reach for next. 

Strangely enough she wasn't afraid. Death didn't scare her – partially because of her religious beliefs, and partially because she had seen it all before now. Her friends had gone through it simultaneously, and she was starting to see that there were worse things than death. Still, she continued strong in her hope that not only was she there for a purpose, but that there was a life outside this madness. That they would get out of it eventually. 

Underneath her firm grasp of Dave's flaccid legs, she felt a sudden jerk. A twitch of sorts. Tyson obviously felt it too, as he stopped short and turned his head. 

"Was that Dave?"

Jenny nodded, frowning. He had moved. His eyes were still closed, but he _had_ moved. Tyson smiled. 

"Maybe he's going to wake up soon!"

Tyson turned around again and started to walk up the stairs again. Jenny followed, her face not so optimistic. By his smile, she knew that sullen hall; by his smile she knew they stood in hell. 

_"Help us please . . ." _she whispered suddenly, not sure what compelled her to speak the words. She pressed her lips together as she walked – when she felt a shove past her. Looking left, she saw a flurry of blond and not so innocent freckles moving past her breezily. 

"Keep moving, guys, no time to stop!"

Max took the lead, stepping in front of Tyson. His blue eyes were as cold as the climate about them, and he focused on nothing as he climbed the winding staircase. 

Happy are those who lose imagination . . . 

Max turned around. "Come on! Let's go! You're too slow!"

Tyson winced, his feet and arms hurting. After all, Max wasn't carrying his own weight in friendship, was he?

"Max, wait a second. This is really hard!"

They have enough to carry with ammunition. Their spirit drags no pack . . . 

Max rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I _did_ tell you to leave him behind, didn't I?" He looked down at his hand as he turned around and reached for the metal banister rail, and noticed a thin red line, a cut, seeping blood, torn flesh revealing tissue. He hadn't noticed.

Their old wounds, save with cold, cannot more ache. Having seen all things red, their eyes are rid of the hurt of the colour of blood forever . . . 

_"Max . . ."_ Tyson grimaced at his friend's brutal attitude, and his thoughts flicked back to those dark days in the labour camp where they had spent a good while. He saw Max's face, just once, tears spilling, and his eyes revealing his shock, his disbelief, at the treatment of those around him. At the inhumane torture of their Captain. At the death the people received and the justice they didn't. Now things were different. Max couldn't be reached. He stood alone now. 

"Tyson, stop complaining!" cried Max without looking backwards, waving a nonchalant hand. "Just get on with it. You brought him."

Tyson fell silent, not sure how to respond. He decided it would be best to leave it, let it drop, and try to reach Max another way when the situation was not so precarious. 

At the back, Kai followed, his brown eyes passionate yet silent, and very cold. He had fallen into some sort of dream. Each step he took he didn't know how. Within him, deep, deep within, beyond the reach of noise and sight, his soul was screaming for release, for help, for a way out. Still, he had to keep up his mask. He couldn't falter, not in front of the others. How could he ask them to stay unbroken when he himself could not? 

_"It's a lie . . ."_ he thought bitterly as he took yet another step, catching sight of a small flick of blood on the grey floor, _"Dulce est decorum est? Sweet and proper? It's all a lie. To die for your country is simply a release. To die serving your Captain is your escape. Escape from this service in hell."_

Kai had to physically restrain himself from simply stopping and dropping to his knees at that. How could he go on? How could he continue to lead his friends – his _friends_ – through this gauntlet of grey grass and unfinished fields; this trench of hot crimson slaughter? How was this fair?

Suddenly, Kai felt something jabbing into his neck. It did not carry much impact – it simply jerked him a little upon contact – and he turned his head, his eyes scanning carefully. However, his range could not quite reach the point of impact, and he could not see what was going on. He lifted his hand to his neck, wondering what was happening, and felt a small, smooth object, about three inches long. It was embedded into the skin somehow. Frowning, Kai brushed his hand against it, and then, as quickly as it came, the object, whatever it was, had fallen from his neck and down the stairs behind him. He was torn between retrieving it and carrying on – and dutifully chose the later. He felt compelled to watch the backs of his friends now. 

He stepped up again, still wondering what the point was in that, when a strange feeling attacked him, swept over him. He felt cold; cold yet hot, and for a moment there was no light to see his friends by. Blinking, suddenly scared, he returned to normal, and quickly put that incident out of his mind, knowing it was important to focus on their main task and not minor details.  

Way up ahead, Max turned a corner, which was much sharper than the gentle winding twines of the staircase so far. He took a brief look around – but had little time to gasp. 

Five guards leapt at him. They were simply armed with knives – no guns, no explosives, but still terrifying. They were dressed all in black, with frightening white visages to mask their features. Max cried out and fell backwards, slamming straight into Tyson. 

Tyson let go of Dave and tumbled back, rolling, along with Jenny and Dave, down to where Kai followed. He leaped out of the way of them as they scrambled to their feet. Above them, the five guards were swamping Max, leaping atop him and kicking and punching and tearing, biting, thrashing, flashing claws . . . 

Growling, Kai flew up the stairs, some sort of paternal, protective instinct expressing itself, and flung himself into the mêlée. He managed to get two of the well-built soldiers off the slimmer form of Max and he rolled over, grappling with them as they attempted to draw their knives. His head slammed hard into the stairs and he felt blood, but he didn't care, and it certainly didn't bother him. He was like a possessed animal, snarling and cursing and doing what he could to protect his friend. 

By this time, Tyson and Jenny had joined in. Dave lay further down the stairs, his back twisted at a strange angle. Jenny was using her computer to whack one of the soldiers unconscious, and Tyson was merely brawling – quite effectively. All had felt some sort of passion when Max had been attacked – of all people, Max. The coldest, most uncaring of the group, and they had all still rushed to help him. The group shared some sort of unspoken bond that they could never explain in words. Actions simply had to suffice. 

Tyson felt his foot slip and he and his guard tumbled a few steps down. Luckily, Tyson landed on top, and the guard landed directly on his neck, breaking it with a deft 'snap'. Tyson took a breath, then another, and then he clambered off the guard, wiping his brow and then quickly turning back to the fight. Jenny had overpowered her guard and knocked him out, and was helping Max, who was attempting to fight off the biggest guard. Kai still scrabbled with the other two, his face a contortion of anger and adrenaline. And something else. 

Tyson decided that Kai needed the most help. He ran up the stairs and pulled one of the guards right off Kai, who was pressed up against the grey wall. He sucker punched the guard he had pulled off right in the jaw and sent him flying. Rubbing his knuckles, Tyson followed the afflicted guard, only to find he had been knocked out by banging his head against the wall. Smirking, oddly pleased with his actions, Tyson turned back to Kai – who was _still_ attempting to fight off this last guard – well, there was still another, heftier guard, but Max and Jenny were just about managing him. 

_"Why is Kai - of all of us - having trouble?"_ thought Tyson as he sped back up the stairs. Suddenly, as Tyson arrived, Kai seemed to perk up, and threw the guard off with ease, kicking him in the face in the process neatly and stealing his consciousness away for now. Kai glanced at Tyson for a second. 

"Thanks."

Tyson nodded, knowing full well that is was an honour to receive praise or thanks from the praiseworthy. Turning his attentions back to Max and Jenny, they saw that the bigger guard was lying on the floor. Jenny had a nasty looking gash on her upper chest, but she brushed it off. 

"S'noffin. Jus' a scratch. Don't worry."

Max nodded, not quite aware of the thanks he owed the rest. He certainly had changed deeply. He looked up the staircase. "Let's continue."

Tyson and Jenny began to move back down the staircase to retrieve Dave, Tyson pausing next to Kai and muttering "Are you okay? You seemed a little out of it."

"Yeah," was the brief reply, and so Tyson assisted Jenny in the hoisting of Dave. They lifted him and began their journey again, their minds settling back into that stupor of Rei's death and pain. It seemed to haunt them already. Max led the way again, and Kai trailed last once more. 

Jenny resumed her hold on Dave's legs, her grip slippery with perspiration. Dave was a tall lad, and so was quite heavy. Still, she continued. She didn't mind carrying him if it would help save his life, which already hung by a slowly rotting thread. 

A noise from behind her made Jenny stop short, and she turned around. She saw that Kai had stopped and dropped his head, strangely, and was leaning onto the banister, his hair falling into his gaze, which was averted and a little glossy. 

"Kai?"

Jenny gently put Dave's legs down, Tyson stopping and turning around, and she moved down the steps. 

"Kai, what's wrong? Are ye' hurt or sumfin?"

At her voice, Kai looked up, his pupils dragging along until they met with her own. There seemed to be no recognition, no memory, but just the blank pupil. Jenny frowned, concerned, and moved closer. 

"Kai?"

Upon hearing her voice again, Kai blinked, and that recognition seemed to flood back into his eyes. He gasped very quietly, and then shook his head faintly, just enough to remove his hair from his eyes. 

"What is it, Jenny?"

Jenny raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "What jus 'appened te you?"

Kai's face was a blank. "I don't . . . know. I think . . . I think I'm seeing things . . . "

His eyes clouded again, and this time he sank to his knees, one hand still gripping the metal handrail, the other moving to his head. He ran it through his floppy grey hair, looking stricken. 

"What's happening?" he muttered, "You're all . . . changing . . . "

Jenny's eyes widened and her heart began to thud loudly. "Kai, what's wrong? Tyson, get 'ere!"

Tyson placed Dave down gently and moved back to the two stationary soldiers, while Max simply stopped and watched with unfeeling, unsympathetic eyes. 

Tyson knelt beside Kai, who was breathing in a worryingly shallow way all of a sudden. 

"Buddy, wanna explain to me?" he said gently. Kai didn't look up, but closed his eyes. 

"This isn't real . . . " he whispered, squinting his eyes violently, as though trying to shut something out. Tyson placed a hand on Kai's shoulder. 

"Look at me, Kai."

Watching as Kai's hand clenched into a fist in his hairline, Tyson smiled reassuringly as Kai began to look up. He didn't understand what was happening to Kai, nor why it was happening, but it was obviously a situation that required rational, calm thinking. He kept himself steady as Kai's dizzy gaze met his own. He looked into his Captain's eyes and was suddenly swept by a cold, chill feeling. He couldn't explain why, either. 

"Kai?" said Tyson, unable to mask the sudden frenetic agitation in his voice. What could have done this to his strong leader?

"Jenny, what happened?" 

"Dunno! I jus' turned 'round an' e' was all dizzy lookin' and pale."

Tyson examined his friend's face. It was suddenly devoid of all colour, as pale as ruin, and it was then Tyson noticed that Kai's pupils had constricted drastically. He looked at the eyes again, and cried out when all of a sudden the flickered and then fell shut. He caught Kai as he fell forward. 

"What? What's going on?"

Jenny looked at Tyson, and then back to Kai, her eyes scanning his face, his neck, his scarf . . . wait . . . 

"Tyson! His neck!"

Tyson looked awkwardly at Kai's neck – he was trying to support him. There, just above the joining between the neck and shoulder, was a scarlet red mark, a circle, about the size of an English penny coin, a vicious rouge with a tiny speck of blood beginning to dry in the centre. 

"Has he been shot with something?" cried Jenny, beckoning Max down. Max remained unmoving. 

"Leave him."

Tyson glanced up at Max. "Yeah right. Good one."

"No, leave him. He's not able to help us now. He'll only slow us down."

Jenny chose to ignore this – now wasn't the time to get into an argument with Max about whether it was right to leave an individual behind. Still, it would be very difficult now to carry Dave _and_ Kai. 

"Kai, can you hear me?" 

Tyson was speaking very softly to the insentient boy, but was interrupted by another, more unfamiliar cry. Looking down the stairs, Tyson shook his head in despair as another seven or eight guards began to gain their ground. He glanced at Jenny. 

"What now?"

Jenny looked down at Kai, and then back up at Tyson. "We stay. We can't leave 'im."

An arm on Tyson's shoulder stopped him from replying. He was pulled to his feet, leaving Kai to slump down to the floor. "Tyson, move. You too, Jen."

Tyson turned to see Max – and next to Max's face shone a glimmering knife, which he held in his own hand – acquired in the battle moments ago. It was tilted towards Tyson, and Max nodded. 

"Come on. Move. Or I'll kill you. Leave him."

Tyson stared, open mouthed and wide eyed. Max's tone suddenly changed, as the soldiers got nearer. 

"NOW!"

He jabbed Tyson's shoulder with the knife and Tyson moved forwards quickly, all of his thoughts suddenly centred on the weapon. It glinted nastily. Beside him, tears were rolling from Jenny's eyes. 

"We're leavin' 'em?"

Max nodded with a grin. "You'll thank me. Move."

Jenny paused for a moment, and then moved up the stairs past Max, feeling like a complete traitor. It _was_ important to complete the mission, but how could she leave Kai behind? And Dave?

Tyson pleaded Max with his eyes. "Buddy, think about what you're doi---"

"Shut up and move!" 

Max jabbed again, this time drawing the tiniest amount of blood. Tyson forced himself to move forwards. 

"Max, I can't believe you're doing this."

He turned around, and shook his head in denial at what was happening. The soldiers had reached Dave, and Tyson couldn't even see what was happening to him. As for Kai, he could see him being pulled to his feet by two other soldiers. They looked at him and laughed, sharing a look of recognition between each other. Obviously they recognized him. 

"Kai!" yelled Tyson, suddenly desperate. Why was he doing this? Was he such a coward that a shining knife blade could dispel his loyalties? 

The soldiers glanced upwards. 

"Run!" yelled Max, grabbing Tyson's arm and throwing him up the stairs, "Now!"

Tyson did as he was told, acknowledging the fact that the threat of a knife blade could control the body. He felt so disappointed in himself, so disappointed in his lack of courage. Jenny felt the same. They had just left behind their Captain and their companion. 

******************************************************************************************************************************

There was no time, no strength, to ask . . .  he knew not what . . . 

His wrists were held in position by cold metal binds, and his shoulders ached with the strain. His head dropped, and he knew not why. Upon opening his eyes, glorious crimson ribbons, ripped from his own back, lay scattered about the walls of the grim dark grey room. With a pull of will, his eyes opened more and more, and the distinct lack of light flooded them. What a smooth floor the room had! 

A figure sat in the corner of the room, on a small, dark mahogany wicker chair. The figure, as he woke, moved, and turned to face him. 

"No . . ." 

Through squinting eyes, the figure did not change. The long, sleek, ebony hair fell about the naked shoulders, the bare, pale skin shining softly in the moonlight that cascaded in through a literal slit in the wall. The eyes glimmered, metallic in the moonlight, and she smiled. Her body was ravaged by something similar to anorexia – every curve, every slender trim, was marred by the cruel jolts and angles of the bones, protruding and rubbing against the outer body. The feet bled, leaving footprints of scarlet across the floor as she walked towards him. 

"It's not real . . . it's not her . . ." 

She reached out, touched his face, stroked the warm skin, and then ran her nails down it, her smile morphing into a twisted, malevolent snarl. Sadistic. 

He squirmed, his heart screaming questions at his head, which couldn't follow, and then the figure, smiling again, turned, and walked away. He watched on as she walked, the curves of her tall figure awkward with starvation and overwork. 

Then he noticed the figure at the other end of the room. 

****************************************************************************************************************************** 

"Max! Stop!"

Max halted at Jenny's impatient yell, and he sighed. 

"What, Jenny?"

Jenny and Tyson caught up with him. Since abandoning Kai and Dave, they had run for five minutes straight. She and Tyson were already worn out. The stairs had become steeper and the run had been difficult. Oddly enough, Max hadn't tired. He was almost mechanical now. 

"We need to find him!" said Tyson, as if Max should already know what he was talking about. Max did. 

"Oh, Tyson, when will you learn?" he said lightly, waving a hand, his blond hair moving slightly, "Kai's gone. Dave too. They're not worth thinking about now."

Max would have continued but for a slap from Jenny. He turned to face her, about to reach for his knife, when Tyson grabbed it first from his belt. 

"Now Max," he said, tilting the knife from one angle to the other menacingly (though Tyson would probably not intend to use it), "We're going to find them. Kai's still alive – well, I think he is. We leave _no one behind_."

Max scowled. He had no choice now. They continued up the stairs – wondering how Kai had been taken out of the stairwell without having been taken past them. Dave too would have had to move past them. 

"I fink we should go back down," said Jenny as they walked, eyes on Max, "I reckon there's a secret door or sumfin."

Tyson wholly agreed. He turned, the knife at the ready in case Max – who was obviously capable of anything in his current state of mind – tried anything stupid. They moved down the stairs.

******************************************************************************************************************************

The figure stood from the hunched position in the chair and turned. He in chains shook his head weakly, unable to stop a small moan escaping his lips. This was beyond him. He didn't understand. 

The figure walked towards him, another smile plastered to his features. 

It was joined by another, smaller figure, with fuzzy hair and glinting spectacles. They could not properly be made out because of the lack of light in the room. 

Kai Hiwatari, bound by the wrists in cruel, cold metal, his arms stretched towards the ceiling in discomfort and his legs dangling freely beneath him, watched in incomprehension as Kenny and Dango made their way to where he hung.

"H---how?" he managed to ask through parched lips. There seemed no time to ask for a drink of water. As the figures moved smoothly towards him, gliding along almost, their figures began to change and morph, twisting with the darkness. The skin on their faces hung like devils', sick of sin, and at every jolt of laughter that escaped from their suddenly corrupt bodies came blood, gargling from froth ridden lungs, seeping and spluttering in agony. 

Kai squinted his eyes closed, feeling hot tears running down his cheeks and his shoulders shaking violently as he struggled to control himself. He understood so little here. 

"Why?" he stammered through gritted teeth, still not opening his eyes. He received no answer. The silence compelled him to open his eyes. The rotting, mouldy figures had dissolved, were gone; as the sweet figure of Luna had disappeared. 

Dave had appeared. Simply lying on the floor. 

_"Is that the real Dave?"_ thought Kai as clearly as he could manage. He had been seeing his dead friends, that was for certain. But Dave wasn't dead yet. 

The figure of Dave suddenly jerked. Kai watched, his mind whirring but making no sense to him. Dave moved somehow so he was facing Kai, now on all fours, and began to drag himself along the floor towards Kai. His legs did not move; they simply dragged and lolled behind him as he clawed along, his face contorted with pain and anguish. Sick at heart, Kai looked down, not able to watch his friend suffering. When the sound of the dragging gait ceased and there was silence, Kai found the courage to look up again. He could not restrict an outcry at what he saw.

Before him stood Rei. 

******************************************************************************************************************************

Tyson pressed his hands along the wall. He was searching desperately for something, anything, to let him in. He knew there must be a secret passage or something. Jenny watched Max from behind him. 

His fingers pressed gently and then with more pressure than before, as he grew more desperate. 

"Stay calm, Tys," said Jenny, keeping one eyes on Max at all times. He stood sullenly. "Be cool."

Tyson nodded, although he found it very difficult to do so. How could he stay cool? How could he stay calm, when his friend and his Captain were in the hands of the enemy, in the hands of evil – what if they were being tortured mercilessly, or what if---

"Oh!"

Tyson's fingers pressed in one of the grey tiles on the wall. To his right slid open a panel, about half a metre wide and the same in height. Tyson turned to Jenny. 

"We're in."

******************************************************************************************************************************

"R . . . Rei?" 

Kai furrowed his brow in frightened confusion. He had never been so scared in his life. His whole body was shaking wildly, and he was finding it difficult to focus his brown eyes. That was no surprise – Kai was seeing people before him whom he had watched die in battle or tragic circumstance. 

Rei stood still in the centre of the room, his face tilted downwards. His black hair hung jaggedly over his eyes, and Kai could barely make his face out. It was a terrifying sight. 

Suddenly, it was as if the room were filled with cloudy green water. Kai found he could still breath, and yet the figure of Rei changed. Kai watched as Rei began to flounder, like a man on fire, choking, drowning. The whites of his eyes writhed desperately. 

Biting his lip as another moan escaped his lips, Kai closed his eyes, shaking his head desperately, tears seeping from his eyes and mingling with the green water about him. He couldn't take this. He felt that he was going insane – yet this was all so real. There was nothing dreamlike about the people he saw. 

"No, no . . . no, it isn't real . . .no . . . " 

Feeling his whole form shivering and his heart racing uncontrollably in his chest, Kai opened his eyes. 

And found himself staring straight into the eyes of Rei, whose face was almost touching his own it was so close. The skin was rotted, covered in green, damp mildew, the eyes, once radiating such a pure, innocent light, emitted malice, whilst the mouth twisted into a bitter smirk. And Rei's hand, bleeding from the nails, shot up and thrust itself about Kai's neck, pressing against it tightly, wrapping itself about it cruelly, slowly closing off the air passage until it was no longer open. Kai was too scared, too weak, too dizzy to move, to fight. His body was in shock – he couldn't will himself to struggle as his lungs heaved. 

"See?" hissed Rei, his lips split and blue, "See what it's like to drown? Look what you did to me."

It was too much. Kai's body was so battered and could not take anything more. In his present, exhausted state, his mind could not sustain itself. The emotional burden was too great a stress. His whole body went stiff as rigor mortis set in prematurely. He went into complete shock, and his eyes fell shut again without him realising it. 

******************************************************************************************************************************

Sherbet Mayhem: And . . . I think I'll leave it there. Ha. I love writing cliff hangers. Is Kai gonna die? Don't give me that "Oh, she likes Kai too much to kill him. She won't kill off her favourite". You saw what I did to Rei. I'm unsure as to who I should kill next, to be honest. J  Hee, hee, I'm evil! Or sadistic. Or both. Or none. Just got a weird imagination.     

Erm . . . it's 01:15 am. College in morning. Will be très sleepy tomorrow. Lol. Oh well. I have a couple of thanks to give. 

People who I simply _must_ (dahling) give credit to in this chapter are the one and only Plumb (the musician) because through the entire writing of this chapter, I have listened to one song over and over and over again. It's called "Nice, naïve and beautiful" and it's great. I'd like to credit the late Wilfred Owen, for inspiration and wonders beyond the literary mind. In the italics (in the part where Max is losing it) that's from one of his works. Thanks to him for letting me use 'em! 

Ooo, what will happen to Kai? How about Tyson? And Jen? And Max? Is Dave dead or not? So many questions! Serious question, is the whole evil Max thing believable? I'm not sure. But I got creeped out by my own writing for the FIRST TIME EVER with the whole Rei thing. Yay. Oh the energy. Oh the enthusiasm. Need sleep. 

Thankies and earrings for your ears to all those who both read and reviewed. Please continue to give the helpful, constructive and PRAISE-FILLED reviews you've been giving – sorry, I love being told I'm good. I actually have the self confidence of a salmon. Ask my friends. I need you guys to boost my ego – oh great, now it sounds like I'm fishing for compliments . . . ;p  

Anyhow . . . yeah, so review! It ain't hard! I'm not making a promise as to when the next chapter will be up yet because last time I couldn't keep it. I really honestly am sorry about that. I know _I_ hate it when people say they'll update by a date and then don't. I'm such a bad hypocrite. Sorry. Hope the chapter made up for my gross impudence and general sloth like behaviour. 

See ya soon, guys, and hope you're still enjoying!

God bless and big fat kisses x x x

Sherbet Mayhem x x x


	11. Thought Like Flames

Sherbet Mayhem: Hey and howdy y'all! IT'S 11:46 pm and I two days ago I would have just got back from the Evanescence concert in the Manchester Apollo! OH MY GOSH it was AWESOME! Rocky Gray (who used to be in a band called Living Sacrifice, if anyone's interested - which you're probably not) and John Le Compt signed my poster, but I had to leave before Amy Lee came out. However, I was right at the front of the big crowd of people. I got squashed - but AMY LEE SMILED AT ME!!! Because I knew the song that she was singing and like the majority didn't! YAY! Oh it was so amazing, I can't believe it! Scarlet diamonds, you'll LOVE IT! ! ! If ya queue a bit earlier (i.e. we queued at five o clock but it didn't open till seven o clock) then ya can get to the front of the arena and skank and just generally enjoy it! the two supporting bands were "Apartment 26" and then "Finger eleven". Look out for the guitarist with the frizzy hair in Apartment 26 - he kept waving at me and Sara coz we waved at him! Hee! Give finger eleven a big cheer because at our concert, some people booed them, which was really mean, and the lead singer went off early coz he was ashamed. But HE WAS AWESOME and it was rubbish the way that turned out. So cheer em on! And wear comfy shoes - your feet will be killing!  
  
As for everybody else who ISN'T going to see Evanescence anytime soon - find out when they're coming near you and GO, GO, GO! It was amazing!  
  
Sorry about the even later than usual update - I've been in London recently and unfortunately I am not a walking typewriter and couldn't write more. Sorry. Je suis desole. I also have a lot of work on . . . I mean I just finished writing yet another Othello essay and I have Graphics work to do. Design a bloomin' perfume bottle with faeries on it. Pfuh. Plus I have homework for 'Wuthering Heights' in my other English lesson to do but I can't even be bothered - and I'm sure there might be some History lying around. And Theatre Studies . . . don't even get me started! See what I mean? I really am apologising on behalf of my college, and me, because my college just doesn't seem to appreciate (no matter how often I try to get let off my homework) the important of fanfiction.net! Lol! *yawns* damned Othello . . .  
  
Ahem . . . on with the disclaimer.  
  
Special thanks go to the following people who left wonderful reviews. Cookies for all of you. Merci buckets to: Becca, Misao, Lunis, KeenaSky, Mizuumi Hakuya, Saphie, Otherworlder, Scarlet Diamonds, Honest Abe, Sobbing Phsyco, Jessica, Cherry Rain, Mistress-of-eternal-darkness, Angel- Sporty_chick, and last but not least, Drifting Soul. Thankies for the nice reviewies and I'll give you all a proper shout out at the end of this damned story.  
  
Anime Writer 88 - (who reviewed BBR which I helped Oil Pastel with a little bit). On behalf of Oil Pastel, I'd like to say that you smell really bad, because you said BBR was 'stupid' and it's obviously a work of comic genius (lol)! SHUT YER GOB ya gobby retard! ! ! ! ! ! ! !  
  
Oh, and Oil Pastel, here's your shout out. Fingerless gloves and really bad eggs. Lol. You smell, but at least I smell worse. Happy now? READ HER FICS! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! They're awesome. Another special shout out goes to the smelly (but less smelly than me) Lindsay, who left me a lovely shout out at the beginning of her awesome (and I mean awesome) new fic called "Under the ice". Everybody go read it coz it kicks ass! And don't do what most people do and read this and then completely ignore the shout out. GO READ IT! ! ! Now! Even if that means to ignore my fic completely! Lol, you can always read this later. It's written by Scarlet Diamonds. Seriously, it's awesome. I LOVE IT! And so will you!  
  
Erm . . . I own everything from previous chapters and . . . er . . . a pair of stripy fingerless gloves, bought shopping today. Lol.  
  
Oh, and italics in speech are thoughts, just so ya know. (  
  
Blumin' 'eck that was long . . .  
  
**************************************************************************** **************************************************  
  
Chapter Eleven: Thought like flames.  
  
"Gra . . . grandfather?"  
  
"What's . . . going on?"  
  
A sudden prick, and a strange, flowing, pressurised sensation in the arm. Unexpected freedom - feeling in the body again. Movement.  
  
"Hold your tongue."  
  
"But---"  
  
"HOLD YOUR TONGUE!"  
  
He could hear his own voice; weak, trembling. It confused him - the floor beneath him was so hard and unforgiving that it was difficult to think straight. He ached all over, his body shivering painfully as his muscles contracted and relaxed without his permission. The sound of a whip slicing through the cruel, iced air was agonizingly clear and echoed between his throbbing ears. And there was nothing to hold on to any more.  
  
" . . . Stop . . . please. I can't . . . I can't take this . . . please . . ."  
  
The whip echoed once again.  
  
**************************************************************************** **************************************************  
  
"Right, I suggest we go . . . this way!"  
  
Jenny sighed. Yes, Tyson was in the lead, with Max in the middle as they crawled along the narrow corridor. It was practically another ventilation shaft, but Jenny didn't like to think of them now. Not after what had happened earlier . . .  
  
"Tyson, I said 'left'! Why don't ye' jus' listen t' me?!?"  
  
From between them both, Max growled to himself. He was being forced along this stupid corridor to save somebody he didn't even see the point in saving! He decided to try and dissuade his 'captors'.  
  
"You know, they're probably both dead by now," he said, smiling to himself very slightly. Tyson tutted with a click of his tongue, his face never betraying what his thoughts were screaming.  
  
I hear you,  
  
But I can't recognize even a sentence as truth.  
  
Who lit that black flame into your heart? And I'm near you, But my words land far from your heart. You turn your back, and I don't know where to start.  
  
"Max, don't be so pessimistic! Kai doesn't give up so easily, and Dave . . . well, he'll be okay."  
  
Max rolled his eyes as he continued to crawl behind Tyson. "I doubt it. Did you see the state Kai was in? Looked like he was tripping! And Dave . . . well, come on, he was dead anyway! Why don't we just turn around and go ba-- -"  
  
His plans were thwarted sharply when Jenny poked him in the calf of his leg. "Enough, Max. Shurrup."  
  
Max wrinkled his nose sharply. He hated that girl so much. She was so bossy, so domineering, and her views on life so far extracted from his own! He kept silent and continued to follow Tyson, until they came to a widened out area, and finally a door, metal, shining in a glaring overhead bulb.  
  
"Do we go through?" asked Tyson, looking at the handle cautiously. Jenny nodded encouragingly, and Tyson, ignoring a sigh of impatience from Max, pressed down the handle and opened the door. It swung open before them with an eerie creak, and they peered forwards cautiously, Tyson just poking his head slightly into the room.  
  
It was silent.  
  
A large, almost perfectly square room faced them. It had no windows at all, and was almost pitch black but for a small, swinging lamp in the far left corner of the ceiling. It flickered creepily and sent shivers racing up Tyson's spine as moths, fluttering their desperate wings upon his body. Breathing in deeply through his nose and wondering what the strange smell was that gently tinted the air, he manoeuvred himself out of the shaft and on to the floor. He turned to watch Max slide out, followed by Jenny, who pulled the shaft shut.  
  
"It's so dark . . ." muttered Tyson as he regained his balance thoughtfully. He squinted about through the almost impenetrable darkness, his heart pounding, faced with the unexpected. There are certain situations in life when the human body, faced suddenly with the unknown, can prepare itself as best it can. Worst possible situations flash through the brain as the body prepares for a flight or fight stand off, adrenaline pumping and heart rate rising. But now . . . Tyson couldn't even tense his muscles he was so weary. This situation was so detached yet so familiar that he just didn't know how to respond. He merely continued to look around, wondering if his eyes would settle and become accustomed to this darkness that they seemed forever emerged in.  
  
To his left, a dark figure moved past him, and Tyson realised Jenny had moved forwards. He could hear her soft, controlled breathing in the darkness, crumbling through the wall of silence that surrounded them.  
  
"Wait . . . "she whispered in a hushed tone, " . . . Listen . . . "  
  
Tyson held his breath as he leaned forwards a little. His eyes flitted yet focused on nothing as he strained his ears. Then, almost inaudible, came feathering a faint, rasping sound, so very quiet that Tyson could hardly believe it was there. He whipped around to 'face' Jenny.  
  
"Jen, d'you think there are any other lights in here?"  
  
Jenny frowned, although Tyson make that out. A sigh from Max was heard behind the both of them, followed by a dull 'click'.  
  
The room was flooded with bright, synthetic light that searched out through ever corner and burned the eyes with a fierce irony. Strange that such a painful thing should be so necessary.  
  
Tyson slit open his eyes through the flash of blinding light, feeling his pupils decreasing in size rapidly to avoid an overload of light entering. He forced them open further still, groaning a little and looking around the room. His eyes finally fell upon what he had feared, expected, and hoped for lying in the close right hand corner.  
  
His Captain.  
  
His Captain who lay on his side, facing away from them, one arm crumpled above his head and the other pulled further away from him, the latter being attached to a metal cuff, linking him to a hook in the wall by a thick metal chain that glinted copper in the sudden rush of superficial radiance. He wore only his khaki trousers - shoes, socks, shirt and jacket had been removed and taken. The traditional scarf he usually wore was nowhere to be seen. The white folds of smooth material would usually hide his neck, where now lay a cruel red mark, burning the skin nastily. All along the torso were ugly red weal marks, swelling welts; long and thin, criss-crossing across his back and chest. Several wounds had been inflicted; some small, some larger, and crimson blood had bled out of the breaks and trailed down the clammy, pale skin in a gravitational trickle that too shone in the light of the room. The shape of his ribs could plainly be seen now through times of toil and their silhouette moved very gently as each breath was dragged in desperately, weakly.  
  
Tyson's feet carried him forward before he even told them to do so. He flew over to his friend and knelt by him when he arrived.  
  
"Kai? Can you hear me?"  
  
Tyson's grey eyes scanned along his friend's body. It shivered very gently, as though to shiver properly was too much. At each light breath, Tyson felt more and more pressed to hurry, as though time were against them. When Kai gave no reply, Tyson leaned over and looked at his face. That too was pale, with a gash above the left eye seeping and oozing blood slowly. Kai's eyes were firmly closed.  
  
"Jen, come over here!"  
  
He heard Jenny hurrying over behind him, and she knelt, looking more at the coppery, slightly rusty chain leading from Kai to the wall. It looked strong despite its rust.  
  
"Can you open it?"  
  
Jenny gave Tyson one of the most sceptical looks he had ever received. "Tyson, I'm not a walkin' bloomin' toolbox! Wha', did ye' expect me te' jus' pull out a flippin' drill from me flamin' pocket? Come on!"  
  
Tyson gave her half a smile. "Okay, dumb question."  
  
He looked over to Max, who still stood near the light switch he had callously flipped a moment earlier.  
  
"Hey Max, could you give us a hand?"  
  
Another sceptical glance shut Tyson up. He frowned for a second before looking back up to Jenny, his grey eyes glinting in the lighting.  
  
"Hey, what about Max's knife? Jen, could we use it on those chains?"  
  
He passed it to the girl, who turned it over in her hands. It was only small, and the blade had worn almost blunt.  
  
"I'll try," she responded curtly and lifted Kai's arm gently, drawing the chain towards herself and stretching it out on her knees. She then began to attack it with the knife, the flurried movements of her hands and the quick, tense strikes suggesting that she cared slightly more about this situation than she was letting on. Her index finger glowed red and white with the pressure she put along the safe edge of the blade.  
  
Tyson watched, fascinated, as tiny pieces of copper began to chip off at Jenny's handiwork. She was certainly no craftsperson, but she wasn't doing a bad job. Tyson turned back to Max.  
  
"Hey, Max, we're doing it! We'll have Kai out in no ti . . ."  
  
Tyson's words trailed off depressingly as he caught sight of two newer figures at the other end of the room. Max apparently had not noticed them yet, and, as Tyson's face fell and whitened beneath the layer of dirt that they were all buried within, the two figures smiled.  
  
"I wouldn't bother trying to release him, Jennifer."  
  
Jenny stopped, half indignant at being called her full name and half fearful at the familiar tone of voice she recognised. For everybody knew the famous voice of Boris Balkov, the inspirational political genius who was, in part, responsible for the creation of BIOVOLT. She turned and indeed her eyes fell upon that same man, his purple hair greased back in that same slick manner, and next to him stood just as fearful a figure.  
  
Voltaire.  
  
Mr Hiwatari, the one and only. She'd only ever seen pictures of this man. He was a very powerful enemy to have made, and looking upon him now she almost regretted having even bothered. He was old, with a hawk like glare and something in his face that reminded her of Kai. But no, this face had felt no real emotion for years. It was like stone. Cold, lifeless.  
  
"That little knife of yours," continued Boris, his mouth twisted in a malicious smirk as usual, "is no good. And what will you do if you do release him? Carry him all the way home? You ought to be grateful to us that the boy is even alive."  
  
Tyson frowned, a little nervous but more powerfully angry than he had been in a long time.  
  
"What? You did this to Kai! How can you even say that?"  
  
Voltaire stepped forwards, his hands behind his back clasped together in an old man type fashion. His voice was strong and commanding, very much like his grandson's, but Kai had a much softer, mellower tone to his voice. Not so harsh or disrespectful.  
  
"He nearly died! His body went into anaphylactic shock! He was hallucinating, imagining things, dying! We gave him treatment about half an hour ago. Be grateful he is not yet dead! Insolent children."  
  
"WHAT?!?" cried Jenny, standing up and keeping tight hold of her weapon, "Ye' poisoned 'im! Ye' woz th' cause o' th' shock! I can see that coz o' th' mark on 'is neck! You've gave 'im somefin! 'Ow can ye' try an make yerselves look good 'cause of this? An' look!"  
  
She pointed to Kai's trembling body, her eyes flashing furiously.  
  
"Look! Yuz only kept 'im alive te' torture 'im a bit longer! Whip marks, puncture wounds . . . yer sadistic, th' both o' ye'!"  
  
Voltaire laughed out loud at Jenny's burst of anger.  
  
"My, my. All little friends, are we? Touching, my dear. I would never have guessed that you were a mole, of all things. I trusted you as any other employee. But you betrayed my trust, dear girl. You should feel proud that you escaped my notice."  
  
Jenny scowled at him. "Lucky me. Want me te' play yer a violin or three?"  
  
Tyson stood up beside Jenny, Voltaire's words and Jenny's revelations sparking a flame within.  
  
"Yeah, Voltaire. Surely you don't expect pity from us after all you've done. How did you even get in here, anyway?"  
  
Voltaire opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted.  
  
"They came in through the door in the far left corner, Tyson. You can't see it because of the way the light falls on it. I only noticed when they came through."  
  
Max had spoken again, his voice quiet and controlled, toneless and cool. Tyson blinked, as did Voltaire.  
  
"Well," spoke Boris, smiling benevolently at the infuriated Tyson, "You certainly have caused us a lot of bother. Look at the damage you've done to our HQ!"  
  
He spoke patronisingly, and Tyson growled, gritting his teeth and forming little balls with his fists. How he hated this man! Through so many incidents of pain and suffering, Tyson had formed an immense dislike of Boris. He was too evil a creation to be saved.  
  
As if to echo Boris' words, there was a strange rumbling noise, and suddenly, the floor of the room moved slightly beneath them. A loud bang was heard from far off, and a few tiny pieces of rock from the stone ceiling fell through the air, floating and twirling in the dust like dancers upon ice.  
  
"See?" hissed Boris, "The second floor is flooded! We can't get down via the main building! You've succeeded in bringing down the systems here, that's for sure. Now the staircase is flooding, and pretty soon the water level will reach here!"  
  
He paused, rather dramatically, and his tone softened. His eyes glinted with that memorable cruel spark Tyson had witnessed previously and he tensed.  
  
"But how many have you lost along the way, mighty Sui Generis?" said Boris, in almost a tuneful manner. "First Mark. How funny it was to watch his head fly! How we laughed!"  
  
Tyson saw Jenny's face contort in disgust. "You're sick."  
  
"Then Rei!" continued Boris, laughing in an adult manner, as though he were criticising the acting in some sort of witty play, "Oh, that was fun."  
  
He paused again, watching each face in the room change. Tyson's pale face visibly darkened as his eyes glared straight at Boris' own.  
  
"Did you see?" murmured Boris mercilessly, his face contorting with some sort of weird delight, some savage desire, "Did you see him squirm? Choking and begging and twisting and jerking? And then Dave! Oh, he put up a fight, that one. Thought he'd never pop it. So we held his face under water about an hour ago. Ah, it was good to be rid of that one. What pests you all were! Worthless vermin!"  
  
That was about all Tyson could possibly stand, and Jenny next to him could stand no more either. They both simply flew forwards, forgetting everything, forgetting the power these men wielded, forgetting their situations - just suddenly bursting out in an immense surge of riled emotion, uncontrollable passion, and insane loyalty.  
  
Voltaire and Boris had not expected such a move, and so were taken aback at the ferocity of the attack. Jenny leaped at Voltaire while Tyson flung himself with a cry at the cruel Boris, his body strong with fury and emotion. He wrapped his hands about Boris' neck and they both fell to the floor.  
  
Max watched on silently from his stance near the shaft they had entered through. He watched, his eyes the only visibly moving part of his body. He cared not for this. He cared not for them. His ice blue gaze was dull, his facial expression lack lustre. He just wanted to leave.  
  
"These things mean nothing to me," he thought as he sighed and shifted position. His gaze averted slightly to the still form of his 'captain', and he sneered. "Pathetic. It's not like he's useful. Couldn't even keep a team of seven soldiers together."  
  
Max rolled his eyes and turned back to the battle. It was actually quite interesting. His friends stood no chance, yet they continued to fight viciously, brawling with all their strength.  
  
"Look at her, hitting Voltaire with her computer!" thought Max meanly, "It's pitiable!"  
  
His gaze fell upon Tyson, who was really going for it against Boris. His face was gripped in an expression of utter madness, and Max watched, intrigued, as Boris struggled to his feet, holding the struggling boy, and threw him across the room.  
  
**************************************************************************** **************************************************  
  
Max blinked as Tyson came into contact with the wall and fell to the ground, clutching his right arm in agony and his face a twisted morph of pain. He could hear Boris laughing, exerting his power over the young lad.  
  
And something stirred within Max.  
  
He blinked again, not sure what was going on. A strange feeling, almost forgotten. What was it?  
  
"What's this?" a voice in his mind spoke softly, "You remember?"  
  
Max frowned, pondering quickly, suddenly feeling that he should go to help his friend. It was as if reality disappeared for a strange moment and suddenly all Max could see was that image, of Tyson slamming into the cold stone wall, the crack of the arm, and expression of pain on his young face.  
  
"T . . . Tyson?" stuttered Max, completely unsure of this feeling all of a sudden. What was this? Did he actually care about his friend's well being? There it was again, that image, flashing, tormenting yet releasing, restoring and reviving, just a little but enough.  
  
"TYSON!" came his voice, and Max ran forwards, unexpectedly full of that emotion he had just moments ago watch take over his friends. He had scorned at it, but now he was empowered by it.  
  
Still, not all that is broken can always be fixed. Max did not run to Tyson's side - oh no. He ran to Boris. He ran to Boris with his fists raised and his eyes flashing something almost completely forgotten within himself.  
  
"Lose yourself, Max. Be free again . . ."  
  
Max smiled as he rammed his fist into Boris' jaw line, and they both flew on to the hard floor. Max recovered first, propping himself to his hands and glancing over at the man. He was winded, and couldn't move just yet - and Max spotted the glint of a gun at Boris' waist. He smiled defiantly, knowing he could easily have the upper hand in this battle - and rolled over to Boris, grabbing the slim line pistol and crawling atop of Boris.  
  
**************************************************************************** **************************************************  
  
It felt smooth, soft, in his hands, and Max ran his finger over the black metal of the firearm. Just a small pistol, not too powerful; yet powerful enough to destroy Boris once and for all. The simple feel of the weapon surged power through Max's corrupt body, and he grinned down at Boris, coking the trigger and pointing the nozzle at Boris' forehead.  
  
Something similar to fear flashed through Boris' eyes, and something raced inside Max. He was enjoying this. This would make him famous! This would make him a hero! He would be the person who had finally killed the infamous Boris Balkov!  
  
"But at what price, Max?"  
  
Max's smirk disappeared, and he frowned, the gun still pointed at Boris but his hand not clenched so tightly around the weapon now. Max moved his gaze, looking at nothing in particular, as a debate ensued within his mind.  
  
"Don't do it!"  
  
He blinked. "Why not?"  
  
"You'll lose your heart!"  
  
Max ran a hand through his hair. "What?"  
  
"Where did the old Max go, that kid we all loved? What happened to him? All you care about is blood lust! If you do this you'll never be able to get back to who you were! Think of your friends! Think how you loved them! And now? And now they're nothing to you! Is that how you want it to be? Do you want be so cold that no one can touch you? When's the last time you smiled, Max? Smiled because you were happy?"  
  
Max breathed out quietly. This was immense. Who was this voice, speaking to him from inside? Why was it so loud, so overpowering all of a sudden? The voice was strangely familiar, yet he could not quite place it. But that did not matter, because, unexpectedly, Max felt a lot warmer. Strangely warmer, as though some sort of wall of wind had been swept away in itself and all that was left was the flame of a crackling fire.  
  
"I've been on a killing spree!" he muttered quietly, "I've forgotten what it's all about! But . . . there's still time . . . I can go back, I know it . . . "  
  
Words so secure screaming like an alarm - Are you trying to wake me up?  
  
I do believe you're trying to wake me up.  
  
He looked down at Boris once more, his ocean blue gaze distant yet focused, and, still not quite sure why he was doing this, Max dropped the gun to the side. He turned to his right and glanced over to where Tyson was still gripping his arm but standing up again. Tyson smiled in greeting, and Max began to raise his arm in a thumbs up. It felt so good just to do that again! He was free once more - free and young and innocent and---  
  
Max gasped suddenly, and looked down slowly at his stomach, where his khaki top had ripped and hung in shreds about a leaking wound, the blood oozing out in clots and globules and molesting his skin. He breathed in and out quietly, wondering what had happened, and then he caught the flash of black metal. As his body went limp, Boris rolled over and threw him to the ground as though he were a lifeless doll.  
  
"Well I guess there's the problem with having a conscience," drawled Boris, slipping the gun back into his belt, "Ah well. No worries."  
  
**************************************************************************** **************************************************  
  
Tyson, his arm throbbing and lacing painfully, smiled as Max raised his hand. He certainly hadn't expected it. Was that real? A thumbs up?  
  
"He's back!" thought Tyson, not sure why, "That's Max!"  
  
He grinned, despite the pulsation in his arm, and his eyes twinkled at his friend. Then suddenly there was a loud noise, which he could barely recognise, and Max jerked backwards, his body rigid. For a moment Tyson couldn't move. He simply watched as Boris got to his feet and threw the blond boy off carelessly. But his head kicked in and he ran over to his friend, not sure if he was crying out or not.  
  
He knelt next to Max, who lay on his back, facing the ceiling, his sky blue eyes misted but still focusing.  
  
"Max?" Tyson forced himself to speak, slipping an arm under Max's blond hair and supporting his head. The cerulean eyes glanced into his grey ones, and Max spoke with some difficulty.  
  
"Tyson . . . I'm sorry. I didn't mean to . . . I mean . . . "  
  
Tyson shook his head, attempting to avoid another welling up of tears. He couldn't just burst into tears again. He had to hold out.  
  
"You don't need to apologise, Maxi."  
  
Max looked up at him, breathing very heavily, and Tyson tried not to look down at the burgundy liquid seeping from the bullet wound in Max's stomach.  
  
"Tyson?"  
  
"Yeah, Max?"  
  
Max took another deep breath. "I'm . . . I'm free. And I wanna go home."  
  
Touched and pleasantly moved, Tyson smiled, aware that Boris was watching them with a scowl but not really caring.  
  
"You'll go home, Max. I promise."  
  
"I don't wanna be here, Tys. I wanna see my mom again. I don't wanna have to shoot anybody else.or." he broke off, his voice trembling at his ragged, heavy breaths. Tyson nodded.  
  
"Go on."  
  
Max coughed and continued, his voice becoming more and more of a terrible whisper at every word he spoke. "Maybe when we get home, we can . . . reform the Blade-Breakers. You, and me, and Kenny, and Rei, and Kai. What do you say?"  
  
Tyson nodded vigorously, crystal tears spilling over his face. He couldn't believe how unfair this was. Max had finally repented and returned to himself, and his life was pouring out through an awful, unjust tear in his stomach.  
  
"Yeah, Max, we'll . . . we'll reform."  
  
Max nodded faintly, his gaze becoming mistier much to Tyson's horror. "That'd be nice. No . . . more . . . no more war . . . just . . . "  
  
Max's voice trailed off, but he smiled.  
  
Tyson's heart wrenched painfully, and he ignored the flashing pain in his arm as his friend - his real friend - passed away in his grasp. Those blue eyes - not ice blue anymore, but a warm, oceanic blue - flickered and went out, and more tears rolled down Tyson's cheeks. His hands shaking with exhaustion, despair, misery, and cold, Tyson laid Max's limp form upon the stone ground and said a quick goodbye.  
  
"Run free, Maxi."  
  
He used his good arm to grab his friend's lifeless hand and he held it for a moment, remembering all of those times when he had laughed and joked with Max. All those times before the war. And he looked down at his hands - and noticed something he had not expected.  
  
Upon the floor, next to Max's broken body, lay two Bit chips.  
  
One was crushed, and tiny pieces of green and lilac lay scattered upon the stone. But the other glinted powerful red in the synthetic light of the room, and Tyson squinted at it.  
  
The Dranzer.  
  
Tyson picked it up subtly, realising that Boris was watching Jenny and Voltaire, who were still struggling, and saw his chance. This was it! This was how they could escape, and pull this off! But . . . but could he control the Dranzer? After all, it was Kai's Bit-Beast. Would it obey him?  
  
"I gotta try . . . " he thought with determination, and he reached into his trouser pocket, pulling out the small red chip that he always carried with him, even though he would probably never use it again on his own beast. He slipped the circular Dranzer Bit into the matching red plastic chip. The machine bleeped almost inaudibly, and Tyson pressed the buttons on the chip in the correct order - the code they had all memorised to activate the chip correctly.  
  
He watched the tiny chip in his hands intently, still crouching on the floor, his hair hanging into his eyes and his breathing quickening with excitement. He looked up to see Boris looking back at him, and Tyson smiled as a strange sort of heat encompassed his hands.  
  
Tyson placed the chip on the floor and watched as the red bit began to glow succinctly. It was almost as though there was a tiny flame burning within the plastic prison. And suddenly, there came a roar from nowhere that echoed all around them, and the Bit glowed brighter and fiercer. Tyson stood up and stepped back.  
  
"This is it."  
  
The room was pierced with a blazing red light, so natural in contrast to the synthetic glare of the lamp shade. And then it seemed to all the inhabitants of the room that the walls, the ceiling, the floor were on fire, and even the shadows danced along the walls as fiery imps, skipping and dancing in the glowering flames of the light. The temperature of the room rose slightly, although not too hot as to burn anybody, and everyone in the room was forced to cover their eyes and squint as the light exploded into a bright white flash. A resounding screech pierced the air, and Tyson pried open his eyes just enough to see the glorious shape of the phoenix rising from the Bit.  
  
It was an awe-inspiring sight. The eyes of the Dranzer phoenix glimmered and glinted black, and the magnificent beast, wreathed in scarlet flame that trailed off into the air in anger, continued to grow as it emerged from its confinement. As it emerged it stretched out its flaming crimson wings to their full span and screeched once more as if to emphasise its power. Three tails emerged from the Bit, one longer than the other two, with dazzling yellow patterns creeping along the edges and manifesting at the tips in a flame shaped arrow. Golden chest plates shimmered in the radiance of its flames as the beast rose through the air, its fire spiralling off and evaporating into the air around it.  
  
Finally the phoenix was fully emerged and the room stood still. Even Jenny had stopped moving, her computer raised above her head ready to whack Voltaire with. She simply stared through her thick spectacles at the royalty before her.  
  
Tyson stepped forwards, feeling very nervous. Dranzer was not as friendly as Dragoon in his opinion and demanded a lot more respect. He stood with his head down, but spoke clearly and loudly to attract the ten metre high creature. The heat threatened to burn him but he stood against it.  
  
"Dranzer!" he called, "It's me . . . Tyson. It's just that . . . well . . . um . . . "  
  
He remembered how badly Dranzer had been treated in the past due to Boris and Voltaire, and thought it was best to let the actions speak for themselves.  
  
"Look!" he yelled, glancing up into the glowering ember eyes of Dranzer and pointing. "It's Boris and Voltaire!"  
  
He spun around to face the other end of the room, his heart thudding in his chest, and pointed to the still form of Kai, who lay with his back to them. It seemed as though his flesh were suddenly alight and alive with flame because of the light radiating from the Dranzer.  
  
"And look! They did that to Kai!"  
  
He pointed to Max, on a roll. "They killed Max! And Rei, and Kenny! And we can't defeat them alone! We need your help!"  
  
More pieces of ceiling crumbled now, slightly larger, and tiny shafts of light began to creep through the miniscule holes in the stone ceiling. The heat from Dranzer was crushing the room. Dranzer gazed down at the lifeless body of Max, and then back to Tyson. And then it screeched again, powerfully, and turned to face Boris and Voltaire. The two men simply watched the phoenix, their bodies rigid and taut in fear. Voltaire opened his mouth to speak.  
  
"Dranzer, listen. You know me. Would I harm my grandson?"  
  
Voltaire spoke no more, and Boris didn't even get a chance to open his mouth. Jenny dived out of the way with a squeal as Dranzer leaned forwards and opened its mouth, only to emit a raging, spilling inferno of molten liquid. Red hot magma cascaded from its mouth, mixed with bright orange flames that shone as red leaves in the autumn sunlight, and coiled towards the two evil men. Tyson didn't manage to see Voltaire's last expression, but he hoped it was one of fear. Voltaire had caused so much pain to so many others, that he deserved no pity. And the same went for Boris.  
  
The room heated up as a furnace as the flames continued to pour; Dranzer's wings flapping and wreathing as it hovered slightly above the floor. The magma scalded the air as it blistered about the forms of the two men, and Tyson, his arm over his face to shield it from the immense heat, caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of Jenny sprinting over to where Kai lay and pulling out her knife again. She set to work quickly, well aware that the heat from the flames would be melting the metal that imprisoned him.  
  
"Come on . . . " she murmured as she continued to hack at the rusty coppery metal, watching as the chips flew off and sparkled in the light of Dranzer's attack. Her own face was lit up, and her glasses were sparking like crazy. It was all she could do to see through them.  
  
"Almos' there . . . " she said to herself through gritted teeth, and she paused for a moment to wipe the sweat off her brow. It certainly was hot in there. She turned and looked back at the incredible Dranzer, not quite sure what was going on but knowing she had to hurry, and then she turned back to Kai.  
  
"Oh!"  
  
She gasped and smiled, for it seemed that Kai had awoken! His fist clenched and he pulled it to himself as he opened his eyes with a slight groan, the heavy metal chain dragging along his upper body. Jenny lifted it up to stop it from catching on any of his wounds of whip marks.  
  
"Y'alrigh' there, Kai?" she said softly. Kai's eyes fully opened now, and he rolled over onto his back so he wasn't facing away from her. He lay still for a brief moment before glancing over at the Dranzer, his own beast, and his eyes widened.  
  
". . . Dran . . . "  
  
Jenny nodded. "Yep, it's Dranzer. Who has just toasted Boris and your grandfather."  
  
Kai's eyes flashed. " . . . Water . . ."  
  
Jenny frowned, puzzled. "D'ye' wanna drink?"  
  
Kai shook his head faintly. "Water!"  
  
Jenny turned to where he was looking, and saw that he was gazing at the vent they had crawled in through. The opening to it was blocked, as she had shut it earlier, but water from the earlier levels had flooded the shaft and was starting to seep in through the shaft. She doubted the flimsy door would hold it out, and already the floor was beginning to puddle.  
  
"It's okay, Kai. Don't you worry abou' a fing."  
  
Kai glanced up at her, still too weak to move. His head was actually reeling - although he had been given the antidote to whatever drug Boris and Voltaire had injected him with, the effects were still only slowly wearing off. Still fresh in his mind were the haunting images of his hallucinations, and he was still a little confused. He was also met by these new pains, stinging ones, across his back and chest, and he could feel himself shivering despite the immense heat in the room.  
  
Seeing the Dranzer once more lifted his spirits a little. Though he could not remember much of how he gotten into this situation, he could remember Dranzer, his loyal companion, and seeing it was a relief. Some sort of familiarity in this situation was almost like a relaxant. Even watching Dranzer toast a living relative of his didn't really bother him - he didn't treat Voltaire as a relative any more and he was just so calmed by the sight of his beast in all its power. Throwing his blade at the wall earlier had been a moment of insanity - and he could plainly see now that he would have been lost without his Dranzer. Still, it was here now, and so he smiled, relaxing a little, despite the confining chain wrapped tightly about his wrist and the chilled floor beneath him.  
  
Tyson watched as the Dranzer extinguished the inferno. The heat in the room dropped slightly and Tyson smiled as he saw that absolutely nothing remained of the two evil miscreants who had caused so much torture through the years for so many.  
  
"That was awesome, Dranzer! Thanks!" he called up, feeling it was polite to say a thank you. Dranzer turned back to him, its eyes still glinting powerfully, and Tyson was pretty sure it was about to return to its bit when he felt the lap of water about his feet.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
He glanced at the floor all around them, and saw it was covered in a thin layer of transparent water, in which Dranzer's flames quivered passionately in the reflection. He smiled.  
  
"Cool."  
  
Above him, Dranzer too had spotted the water, and could see the frightened look growing in its own eyes. Water. The only element that could defeat the prodigious flames. The only substance that could quell its passions and extinguish its light forever. Water - the only thing that the phoenix feared.  
  
Dranzer let out a screech, and Tyson glanced up at it.  
  
"It's okay, Dranzer, it's only water!"  
  
The mighty bird seemed to calm at Tyson's words. After all, if a human could manage to not be scared by a simple element, then why shouldn't a mighty phoenix?  
  
The door to the ventilation shaft broke, and water flowed in as one massive body, sloshing in and creating tiny waves across the room.  
  
Dranzer let out a screech in terror as the water touched the tips of its tails. It was in sheer panic, and Tyson's eyes widened in horror. He knew he couldn't control a raging Bit-Beast - who could? All he could do was back away as the phoenix screeched wildly and flapped its wings in a complete frenzy as the transparent water continued to pour in. Dranzer's head came into rough contact with the ceiling and more pieces of rubble - larger now, more dangerous - came crashing down and splashed into the water that was gathering.  
  
Jenny gasped, her own eyes flashing fear. The animal was out of control and was at large to do whatever it wanted. Plus, the room was filling with sloshing water and it reminded her of a previous situation. Her heart pounding as unwanted images flashed into her head cruelly, she turned back to Kai and grabbed him around the torso gently.  
  
"I'm jus' liftin' yer up, Kai. Get ye' outta this water."  
  
She managed to sit Kai against the wall, although she could feel some of his strength returning already as he had tried to help her as much as he could. She then returned to hacking at Kai's chain with her knife, annoyed at the flailing pieces of chipped metal that flipped into the water and surrounded her. It was only shallow - about two or three inches deep - but was enough to annoy.  
  
A loud screech, nearer her vicinity, caught her attention, and she stopped trying to free Kai for a moment and turned around.  
  
"ARGHHH!"  
  
She squealed again, covering her head as she was faced with a long, flashing tail, glinting in reds, oranges and yellows as it swiped past her through the air and slammed into the wall about half a metre away from her. It crashed straight through with awesome power, and the wall crumbled, leaving only a tattered, rocky casing at the edges of where it had stood - like a broken window leaves shards of glass hanging about the frame. Rocks, grey as winter, tumbled about both she and Kai and they covered themselves as best they could. They escaped unharmed, strangely enough, and they shut their eyes as chilled rainwater suddenly barrelled in from the outside world. It was teaming with cold, heavy pellets of rain in Russia.  
  
The rain didn't help situations. The wind from outside blew at the Dranzer's flames, and the rain pounded into it from all over, causing it great suffering and torment. Kai watched, unable to say anything but feeling immensely for his beast. He understood what massive pain Dranzer would be in at that moment. And he unfortunately knew just what was coming.  
  
Dranzer lost complete control. Tyson, nearest to the beast, was forced to dive for cover behind a nearby pile of rocks that had fallen from the swiftly collapsing ceiling as a spiral of sweltering, blossoming flames headed his way. He avoided being scorched, and watched on from behind his miniature fort as Dranzer turned to face Kai and Jenny. Kai propped himself up on the wall and stumbled to his feet weakly, only able to stand by leaning on the remnants of the wall.  
  
All recognition was gone from the ebony eyes as they glimmered with pain and terror, and the prodigious phoenix took a deep breath, not understanding that it was about to burn its master and his friend. Jenny had the sense to scream "No!" as a burst of flames erupted from the bright yellow beak of the bird, and she covered her eyes as she felt the air beside her heat up.  
  
She suddenly felt a pair of arms around her waist, and then, instead of the burning sensation she had expected, she found she had something to cling to. She held fast, her eyes rigidly closed tightly as she was dragged along, and then she felt the strangest sensation, almost this sense of falling, and the cold air ripped at her face, and the rain pelted her skin, and she could only bury her face in whoever she was clinging to as they jerked and stopped falling.  
  
**************************************************************************** **************************************************  
  
Tyson, watching on from behind his rock, jumped up as he saw Dranzer take a breath.  
  
"Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to release Dranzer . . ." he thought as the Dranzer took aim at Jenny and Kai.  
  
"No, Dranzer, don't!" he yelled, jumping out from behind the rock as the spiral of flames erupted from the phoenix's beak. He could still see them - Jenny yelling something bravely before hiding her face from the immense head hurtling towards her - and then Kai, of all people, who hadn't an ounce of strength left in the world, wrapping his arms around her middle, still glaring defiantly into the face of the phoenix and the flames. Tyson watched as Jenny turned into Kai for support and wrapped her own arms around him, and then Kai just seemed to collapse, his knees buckling beneath him, and he fell backwards, holding the young girl in his arms, out of the hole in the wall created by the ferocious Dranzer in its peril and disappearing out of Tyson's sight.  
  
Then there was just nothing. An empty hole in the wall. His friends - the last two - were suddenly gone, just like that.  
  
"NO! ! !" yelled Tyson, leaping forward, his hand outstretched. But it was too late. And now, Tyson simply found himself staring into the ember beads of the phoenix's eyes as it faced him, and it took a breath, and Tyson could only close his eyes as he prepared for the imminent cremation he was about to face.  
  
One day, this world will see me at the horizon.  
  
One day; from a distant light.  
  
And just before I stand to face my love,  
  
I'll turn around,  
  
And with a smile, I'll say my goodbyes.  
  
Just one last goodbye -  
  
Goodbye.  
  
**************************************************************************** **************************************************  
  
Sherbet Mayhem: And . . . that should just about . . . do it. Yep, another day, another chapter. Hee, hee. Told you so. Don't try to figure me out! I've still got a few surprises in store. And that's all I'll say . . . except that all three sets of lyrics I used were from Blindside songs. They are so amazing, indeed. Check em out if ya get a chance! Erm . . . the first lyrics were from "Thought like Flames" (yes, well done, I called the chapter by the same name! Ooo, you get a cookie if you noticed!). The second set of lyrics was from "Sleepwalking" and the last lyrics, at the end of the chapter, were from "Sleepwalking" too. Awesome stuff. Yes, indeed.  
  
How did you like it? Hee, hee, you don't know what to think, do you? I don't. Anyhow, I'd probably better go to bed now. It is . . . 02:05 in the morning. Far too late! COLLEGE TOMORROW!  
  
Anyhow, I'd better run. I'll try and update by like next Tuesday but if not then you can't say I broke a promise because I made no such promise. I said I'll try and update. That's no definite. But I will try.  
  
Hope you enjoyed it, and please review! You've all been so wonderful with your reviews so far, so keep up the good . . . er . . . reviewing! Lol, and Saphie, what grade are you on when playing the flute? Are you really good? Do you even have grades where you live? Lol!  
  
God bless everybody, and good night!  
  
Big kisses x x x x x x x x x  
  
Sherbet Mayhem. 


	12. Hope

Sherbet mayhem: *looks at people facing computer screen* Huh? You guys are still here? Wow. Well, I just got home from college. We had some stupid awards ceremony where we got all our results for our exams. It was so humiliating – do teachers honestly think we _enjoy_ going up on stage to receive things? Duh! Obviously not!

Again with the: Thankies to all the readers (even those who _don't_ review . . . ahem) because it's great that people are enjoying things. Ah well. I'm gonna keep this disclaimer short – ya know, if ya look at the very first chapter you can see how much my disclaimers have grown! Lol! 

So yeah . . . hello and thank you for reading both hidden Adversary _and_ War to Othela, who left me some lovely reviews! YAY! Merci buckets to you – and anyone else who's read more of my stuff, including Zesha and Scarlet Diamonds ('there's no place like home, there's no place like home . . .' lol) and just thanks in general to those who have reviewed. Enjoy twelve. Also thank you to Frostt coz your reviews made me smile and feel good about myself for a change. Merci. If I missed anybody then I do honestly sincerely apologise!

Everybody check out Zesha's Yu-Gi-Oh story, by the way. Zesha is a good friend of mine and I happen to know that she is an AWESOME writer! Check it out, please! Even if you don't like Yu-Gi-Oh check it out, because it's such a good read! Would I lie? I know when I'm reading good stuff and hers is DAMN good! And hey, would I recommend crap stuff to you guys? Not a chance. *looks around for Oil Pastel*, oh and read Oil pastel! (lol, we're best mates. Don't' worry, she's not _that_ crap *winks*)

Wait a minute . . . TWELVE? It's twelve chapters? Oh man, I need to get a hobby! 

Oil Pastel: Yep

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Chapter twelve: Hope

Jenny prised open her eyes, the hazel green glinting in the dull, chill light. Pellets of rain splattered against the thick lenses of her wonky glasses and she blinked, confused and unable to see much through the fast merging water droplets on her spectacles. Hadn't she fallen? Was she on the floor? She didn't feel like she was moving. Not at all. She felt quite steady, although there was this strange feeling that there was more space around her than there should normally be. Thoughts milling in her quick mind, she raised an arm, so she could wipe the rain off her glasses with her already wet fingertips. 

"Don't . . . don't move . . .. "

Jenny paused quickly at the quiet, strained voice, freezing her hand just before she unclasped it from whatever she was grasping on to. She shook her head, and to her relief some of the water pellets smearing across her vision flickered off into the air and she could see a little better. 

She half wished that she had kept her eyes closed completely. She realised with a gravitational surge of fear that she was hanging at least fifty metres above the snowy Russian floor. Well, _she_ wasn't hanging. She was clinging desperately, tightly, to the dangling form of Kai, who had one arm wrapped about her as protectively as he could manage. The other was stretched upwards, tensed and pulled to its full extent if not farther, the muscles taut and tight; strained and unnatural. The chain shackle still held fast about his bluing wrist, rubbing tight against the skin and cutting off the circulation in his hand. The chain itself was still attached to the wall of the room they had fallen out of, on a fringe that Dranzer had not managed to blow up with its devastating attacks. They were dangling by a chance, an extreme; a moment. 

Kai's fingers were stiffly gripped about the chain, attempting to release some of the pressure upon his hand, his body, but it wasn't working too well. Jenny winced when she saw how taut his arm and shoulder was. She looked up at him from where she clung tight about his waist. 

"Crap! What' d'we do now?"

She got no response. Kai was keeping his teeth firmly grit, his hair blowing into his eyes in the wild wind, which howled about the building as a pack of angry dogs, biting and gnawing at the exterior with a rabid force and strength. When the wind blew, the two frozen figures swayed violently with it, taunted and twisted in malicious spite and perverse humour by the onslaught of air and it was all Jenny could do to maintain her grip about the boy as the wind laughed about them. The dogs, snapping and biting gusts of whipping air, were hungry.

Jenny closed her eyes for a second, her computer hanging about her neck and providing excess weight. She loosed her clasp around Kai and attempted to shake the computer, which hung by an elasticated black cord – from herself and to let it drop. She only succeeded in causing them to swing from side to side bumpily.

" . . .damn it . . . stupid computer . . . "

Kai glanced down at her with effort. It was death to move. Still he smiled, and she grinned wonkily back at him. She amused him. It was nice to see something not so serious and dangerous for once in a while – okay, so they were dangling by a literal thread above a fifty-foot drop to their dooms. But her smile reminded him that they were still there, still alive. They could still get out of this, somehow. If someone could smile, even in a situation so precarious as that one, so dangerous, so draining – then what could stop them from going further than a smile? What could stop them from – say, finding a way out? Surviving? Putting it all behind them?

Kai attempted to clear his throat a little and then spoke, his voice annoyingly rasping. He hated that – it looked so broken and defeated. However, still feeling rather lucky that he could move and talk again after his previous half hour's experiences, he continued as clearly as he could.

"Jen . . . can you . . . can you climb up over me?"

Jenny squinted, looking a little confused. "Wha'?"

" . . . Can you?"

She nodded, knowing she had been an agile climber at school and was perfectly capable of climbing up over the boy. But she worried. Would she be too heavy? Could he stand it? Would she hurt him further? Would the movement break the chain's flimsy hold on the wall? Would-

"Jen, do it!"

She jumped a little, and realised that although she had many reasonable, logical doubts, she would have to override them all for an order from her Captain. With a nervous nod, she unclasped her hands, shaking violently with nerves, cold, or something she didn't quite recognise, and reached upwards. She grabbed onto his good shoulder, knowing the other one, stretched up towards their life line, would be particularly painful right now, and pulled herself up, not sure what she was doing with her legs but making sure she didn't hurt Kai in the process. All the while the chain was creaking in a very off-putting manner. 

_"Knew I should'a gone on a diet!" _she thought to herself, as she wrapped her left hand about the chain and pulled herself upwards some more. The chain itself was freezing cold and it chilled her fingers to close around its metal ringlets. After apologising to Kai for her computer, which was dangling in his face, she hauled herself even further and began to climb the chain. It wasn't a particularly long chain – in fact it was very short – but it seemed to take her forever to grab the remnants of the floor of the room with her chilled, numbing hands. 

As she began to pull herself up into the room, still unable to see what was going on inside, she glanced at the dangling chain. 

_"Is that moving?" _she thought, peering through her glinting, rain soaked glasses thoughtfully. As she confirmed that as a doubtless 'yes' within her own mind, the chain slipped even further with another vicious jolt. Jenny spun her head around to look below her and almost lost her grip on the floor of the demolished room above her. 

Suddenly, Kai felt a strange slip in pressure about his wrist, his arm, and he looked up to see a crack, making its way up the wall mockingly, creeping along as it wound its way to where the chain was laced into the inner wall where Dranzer and Tyson currently dwelled. He barely had time to register the implications of this before there was a jolt and he slipped down a couple of inches with a nasty jerk as the chain became unattached to the wall and slipped a good way down the brick. Jenny, tightening her grasping fingers upon her safety, her haven, somehow felt a shock wave run through Kai's beaten body as the impact of the jolt, the halting of the fall, ricocheted throughout and his shoulder dislocated itself with a wicked twist. His fingers loosed their grip and they were hanging from his wrist. The instant the chain stopped, a cry escaped from Kai's mouth, the first Jenny had ever heard, of agony. He had taken enough, and he couldn't take any more. It was so strange for her to hear him finally express some of his true feelings – to at last see at least a fraction of this breakdown that undoubtedly proved that he _was_ indeed human. The cry echoed for a second, and was followed by an odd silence, as if something of great importance or recognition had just occurred. The cry replayed upon the wind for a few seconds before the dogs attacked it with vicious thirst and it became no more than a morsel of food for them to salivate upon.

"Kai!"

She heard the cry from below her, echoing in the vast haunts of the wind, which kissed the face of every passer by with its lusty senses. Jenny was hardly in a position to think about such a thing, but she found her mind wandering towards the dismaying thoughts that the boy below her, his own life now hanging in the balance, might be giving up more and more with each and every slip of the chain. What did this chain represent? Freedom? Imprisonment? Did it represent life, power, optimism? Hope? 

******************************************************************************************************************************

Hope. 

The one thing that was keeping this party going. And as Tyson leapt out of the way of a blistering bud of passionate flame, he couldn't help but distinctly feel that his hope was wearing thin. As was his luck. As was his tolerance. As was his strength. 

How long could he keep this up? It wasn't so bad before, when he had others to lean on when he needed support. And not only could he lean on them; when they were around he had motivation – he had this sort of reason to keep himself strong and passionate and fiery. Now the only thing fiery was the air about him, and it was getting a little too hot for his tastes. 

He slipped into the giant pool of gathering, sloshing water around him and almost lost his balance as he narrowly avoided a roasting. 

_"That's one passionate bird!"_ he thought dryly as the wet of the water soaked his trousers. As the giant, incredible Dranzer, its black eyes shimmering with pent up rage and pain, Tyson grit his teeth, ready for another attack. Sweat poured in eggs down his face as he prepared, tensing his body for another spring away from the bird's wonderful, evil flames. 

Dranzer, terrified and yet completely focused upon the weary Tyson, brought its head back as it prepared another blast of heat for the boy. But then, just as it was about to spit out a barrel of energy, emotional flame aimed straight at the offender before the mighty phoenix, the distant echo of a chord – something familiar to both Tyson and Dranzer, spliced the air. 

Tyson glanced towards the huge hole in the wall (where Kai and Jenny had previously fallen) now that Dranzer was distracted and too looking around. And Tyson spotted something he had not expected. A hand. 

A human hand, reassuringly. A little farfetched and incredible, yes, but Tyson was never sure what to expect. After what all he'd seen in the past twenty-four hours he wouldn't be surprised if he were flying smoothly through the chilly Russian air in a few minutes!

Tyson squinted. The room was very hot and the air, although not forming the distinctive patterns and waves of heat radiation just yet, was beginning to waver a little and concentration on a farsighted object was not easy. Still, eventually his eyes focused and he made out the skin of the hand, ridden with scars and marks from the far past. 

_"Jenny . . ." _thought Tyson with a grin. He knew it was she by the scarred hands. Something returned to him in that moment – he wasn't so alone anymore and he knew it. 

_"How did she . . ." _he mused to himself, aware that Dranzer was also watching the hand very scrupulously. His own grey blue eyes wandered a little and he found himself staring at something, which glittered in the metallic light of the Dranzer. 

The_ chain._

"Of course!" exclaimed Tyson, widening his eyes. And then realisation hit him – they were dangling from that chain. Kai and Jenny. They were both alive. But . . . if Jenny's hands were up here, then that meant that Kai was dangling below her? And were those cracks in the wall that Tyson's keen eyesight could make out? Had that cry he had heard been Kai?

_"Oh man . . .I hope they're all right . . ." _he thought as his eyes flitted back to the glorious Dranzer. Its body was suddenly rigid, tense – searching. It was scanning the hand with its ebony pupils, breathing softly, its plume feathers in their scarlet rage rising gently; up, and down, up, and down, with the pallid movements of the flames wreathing from the centre of its very being. And there was that word again: 'hope'. He kept on coming back to it. Why?

Suddenly, the Dranzer's body moved with a jerk, away from Tyson. It seemed to have forgotten all about him – rather, it had not forgotten him, but had been reminded of something _else_. It flew in the little space available to where the hand clung to the floor just as the chain finally snapped from the hook on the wall and slipped out of the room. 

Tyson gasped. 

"No!" he yelled, scrambling forwards, using his hands to propel himself from the floor. He couldn't seem to stand straight yet still made for the window where his friend had fallen – yet again. What was going on? 

******************************************************************************************************************************

Kai felt the chain snap immediately. It was just as Jenny looked around to face him, which was strange. As it broke, tiny shards of metal flew into the air, and seemed to spiral and glitter in the haunting wind as ballet dancers, trapped in time in their spinning motions of beauty. He watched them, suddenly fascinated, until reality hit again with the sharp whoosh of the wind slamming into his skin, splicing his pores to the core.

He couldn't stop himself from thinking the unfortunate. 

_"I give up."_

This was it. Jenny's smile had encouraged him that something may be able to be done, something may happen to turn their twisted fates around and bless their fortunes with something more than what they had already received. But no, there was no way he could get out of this. He was about to slam into the floor fifty feet below himself and, from what he had gathered, it would just go black. Of course it would hurt like hell, but he was used to that by now. Everything hurt. There was no relief. Everything was a struggle of torture. There was no war. Life was war.

_"And so is death."_ He thought as he spiralled towards the ground at an uncontrollable rate. It was taking longer than he had imagined – but what did he care now? He had given up. He didn't care if he lived or died anymore. Nothing mattered. The war was over. He had failed. His team were gone, his leadership broken, his mission abandoned – and his Dranzer lost. Turned against him in the natural fear it could not help – and he could not help it either. He hadn't even been strong enough to offer a few words of comfort to the terrified creature. He wasn't surprised it had turned against him. He didn't deserve Dranzer – and _it_ certainly didn't deserve to be chained down to something like him. 

He felt the dogs of wind ripping at his back now as he fell, and he closed his eyes, even the strong, resilient, tough Kai Hiwatari not able to watch that floor approaching to snap the life out of his battered body like it was worth nothing at all. He couldn't anymore. 

_I can't run anymore,_

_I fall down before you,_

_Here I am,_

_I have nothing left.  
  
  
_

And then he opened his eyes. Something inside him swelled, from deep within his gut and travelling throughout his body, warming, invading yet inviting. And he realised he had just done what he had thought was impossible. No – wait. The impossible was happening all around him.

He was suspended in midair. 

Suspended and surrounded by a thousand – maybe more – glimmering, fantastic flames, bright and scarlet and beautiful. He gasped quietly, as the air burned with the vibrating haze of the swelling blossoms, which opened their petals to him and breathed him in. The heat did not burn – it comforted, it reassured and relaxed. And as he looked about himself, Kai realised that he had not been simply suspended in midair in these strange, fervent flames, but was being cradled in the glowering feathers of Dranzer, its embers sparking in incense about his body. Relief spread throughout his veins and Kai closed his eyes for a second, somehow feeling that everything would be okay if he could just lean into his Dranzer once again as he had done so long ago. And then sleep, that inviting, blossoming flower of twisting, flickering flames and alluring warmth and heat, coaxed him in, the cold, cruel jaws of the dogs replaced by the soft ruffle of ember feathers, and he lost consciousness once again. 

******************************************************************************************************************************

Jenny hailed herself up with a great effort, unsure of what was happening below her. She had heard the chain snap and seen it whiz past her head, but had forced herself to climb to a safer position. A strong grasp about her hand had given her any assistance she needed, and she found herself being pulled up by a dirty, messy and weary looking Tyson. The room was collapsing about them – slabs of the ceiling were crumbling down with even more force than earlier. 

"Tys, what's ---"

"Kai!"

Jenny frowned and watched as Tyson ran to the edge of the room, looking out frantically. She spun around, feeling his panic, his exhilaration, and peered over, into the Russian wind and the dark skies outside and the drop.

And saw the bird of fire, glowing so brightly in that world of darkness below them, the flames on its back fragmenting in the air surrounding and evaporating into the night. The phoenix was alive. 

Tyson sighed in sheer reprieve. He could see the still form of Kai, wrapped protectively in that of the Dranzer, and, without moving its wings, the majestic animal began to rise through the air, its feathery wings still closed tightly about the boy. 

"Aw, yes, now tha's wha' I call a valet!" smiled Jenny, sharing that same sense of relief that had washed over Tyson. She couldn't help but feel that things were coming to an end. As the Dranzer's quivering flames approached, she and Tyson braced themselves, certain that there were no more attacks coming but still a little hesitant to trust the animal. 

Dranzer stopped at the opening to the room, and gently released Kai onto the shining, dripping floor, which was flooded with about three or four inches of murky water. Tyson and Jenny instinctively grabbed hold of him, wondering what the beast was thinking of. Surely it didn't want them to stay there? Did it?

Dranzer spun in the air, now using its wings to propel itself against the strong winds, and positioned itself so that its back was flat and just below the rim of the room. Tyson got the point, and, nodding at Jenny, reassuring her that Dranzer was indeed safe now, moved Kai onto its back, and then followed himself, the heat pleasantly warm against the elements of chilly Russia. Jenny stepped on, shaking her feet off kindly before setting a single foot on the bird, knowing it hated water. And with another violent gust of wind at its back, the phoenix spread its wings to their full, impressive span, and soared off into the night, a comet tail of glittering, eager flames trailing behind it in its glory. Tyson and Jenny leaned against each other in exhaustion, their unconscious Captain held tightly in both of their arms, and watched as the sinful, wicked building grew smaller and less impressive with every breath they took. 

******************************************************************************************************************************

About fifteen minutes later, Tyson felt sleep threatening at the edges of his mind, and so moved to wake himself up a little. The thrill of riding on the back of the glorious animal was amazing. The air swept at his face and refreshed his whole body. He felt cleaner, fresher – new. As though the breezing gussets of air could wash away all that had happened and start him anew, making memories unable to haunt him so. 

He moved gently, so as not to disturb his two companions. Jenny had fallen asleep, her glasses wonky and her dark hair curling about her face because they had gotten wet. Kai hadn't woken yet, but Tyson couldn't bring himself to worry. He hadn't realised that ending this thing would bring him so much sadness. 

He slipped away from Kai and Jenny and walked slowly cross the back of the bird, feeling the wind running its fingers through his hair, which was dirty and messy. The bird below him seemed to be at peace, enjoying the feeling of soaring freely through the air. A small smile curved the frame of Tyson's lips, and he ran his own hand through his hair, wondering what had just happened. Everything had just ended, just whizzed by in a flash of time, and now here he was standing, on a safe ride to freedom, literally 'riding through the Russian air' as he had scoffed earlier. Everything was so unrealistic and blurred to him. Was it over?

"Did we do it?" he mused aloud, his thoughts too loud to stay in his mind. Realisation hit him with as much force as the sweeping gusts of wind, and his eyes widened, glinting in the grey night. 

They'd completed their mission. Sui Generis had succeeded.

"You're kidding me!" Tyson spoke, his face brightening. He couldn't quite believe this. Had they really done it? Had they finally brought down BIOVOLT? 

_"Of course, the war isn't over . . ." _thought Tyson, feeling a strange feeling of relaxation running through his muscles. He sat down again. 

_"But we did it."_

He smiled and nodded to himself. BIOVOLT would be at a disadvantage now! A group of seven had brought down one of the most massive threats to the world ever imagined, and had destroyed two of the world's most dangerous men in the process!

But how many had they lost?

_"Mark, Dave, Rei, Max . . .."_ he thought, his eyes filling up. Now he was out of that place, now the situation of war was finally away from him and he was at peace with himself, the shock of losing his friends was beginning to gnaw at his innards. They were gone – his team just broken apart, just like that. He wondered had Robert managed to escape, along with the Irish soldier Dougie. Had the building collapsed? And what was going on back home? Japan? Had it fallen completely? Had the Chinese forces been destroyed? Had the English arrived to help yet? Would BIOVOLT be able to continue now?

His mind was a throng of tumultuous questions, and he shook them away as well as his tears. He didn't have time for that now. The sky was still darkening, and they had to get to the pick up point. It had been arranged before Sui Generis had even set off – a cabin about twenty-five miles east of Lake Bikau. There waiting for them would be some form of transport to get them back to Japan, where the Chinese forces would be eagerly awaiting their return. 

_"You did great."_

Tyson started, and looked around. Someone had spoken to him. Who? The voice was familiar, but he couldn't place it. Not quite. Convincing himself that it was just his imagination, Tyson stared back out towards the night. 

_"Be proud. I know I am."_

He was sure he heard that one. Who was it? It was a male voice, smooth and mellow, graceful as a cat stalking through the gloom of the night, its black shadow flitting, amber eyes glinting. It echoed in the chambers of his mind, and Tyson frowned, very confused. 

_"You've done China and Japan proud!"_

Tyson stood, looking about himself in bewilderment, as the voice changed, and became younger, lighter. More innocent. Ocean blue. What was going on? Who was that in his head? Or who were _they_?

_"Calm down, Tys. __We gotta go._

Shaking his head, a little frightened and wondering whether he'd lost his mind, Tyson spoke aloud. "Who . .. ."

_"Don't worry about it!" _said the first voice. The second voice followed, light and friendly. _"We'll see you again soon."_

Then, suddenly, as quickly as they had come, the voices were gone. And Tyson was left, not alone, but feeling it. He sighed, and rubbed his arms, sitting down again. The wind was causing the hairs on his arms to prick up despite the fact that the heat from beneath was keeping him warm. He turned back to his friends and found that Jenny was awake and looking at him.

"'Iya, Tys."

Tyson smiled. "Hey, Jen."

She smiled back, and stretched her arms. "I tell ye' wha'. We've got some good stories te' tell th' kids."  

Tyson laughed gently. "Yeah."

They were silent for a moment, both pondering about what had actually happened. Memories, strange, inexplicable ones, flashed across their minds, each following a different flashback, and then they looked at each other and grinned. 

"We won." Jenny said with a smirk. To her, she had played her part. The war for her was won. And Tyson couldn't help but feel the same. He knew that back home the fighting was still raging, still vicious, but to him they had won. Their enemy had been defeated. 

The wind ran its fingers through Jenny's hair, brushing across her face and causing her cheeks to blush with cold. "Are we goin' te' th' pick up point?"

Tyson nodded, and looked down at the feathers he sat upon. They were tilted upwards, still shiny in the dark. And Tyson got the distinct feeling that they were heading downwards.

"Are we there already?" he thought to himself, his senses, his war instincts, still ripe and questioning. He felt the gravitational surge of the drop and then they were grounded, and the wind ceased to blow as smoothly through Tyson's hair. He spoke aloud, feeling confident enough to question the Dranzer. 

"Hey Dranzer, how come you stopped?"

He hopped off the back of the bird, and moved to its face. And that was when it struck him that the creature looked fatigued beyond expression. Its ebony eyes were dull and tired, and its head hung forwards in exhaustion. 

"Gosh, Dranzer, you should have said something!"

Jenny slipped off the back of the creature and moved to where Tyson stood. The phoenix moved its gaze to them, the black eyes still piercing no matter how dull and lacklustre they were. Jenny smiled. 

"Thanks."

Tyson nodded in acquiescence. "Yeah, Dranzer. We couldn't have done this without you."

The fire bird, the creature of the sun, was finally defeated by the imposing darkness and violent winds about them, and it gave a cry and disappeared into a thousand shards of glimmering scarlet and cherry. With a final effort, Dranzer lowered its master gently to the ground, the pieces wrapping about him in the air before letting go of him onto the floor and flooding towards Tyson. The fragments, glittering and beautiful, swarmed as one long, spiralling chain of flame, and plunged into Tyson's pocket, where the Bit-Chip lay after he had picked it up in the BIOVOLT HQ. Tyson felt his pocket get very warm as the Dranzer re-imprisoned itself in its chamber, and then the pocket was still again as the phoenix slept once again. 

Tyson glanced over at Jenny, who smiled and turned on her computer, which was still working after all it had taken. She clicked a few keys and squinted at the screen. 

"We're abou' a mile from pick up."

Tyson's eyes widened and he groaned. "A mile? We have to walk a mile?"

Jenny nodded as she pulled a face. "But at least we have my trusty laptop to guide us!"

Tyson shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so. What way do we go?"

Jenny looked down at the screen, and her own eyes widened. "Nah, nah! Ye' can't do this! Nah!"

Tyson jumped, and his heart began to pound again. The thrill and adrenaline of his earlier experiences had not left him and his felt himself jerk awake. "What, what is it?"

Jenny frowned at the computer screen. "Th' battery ran out."

Tyson felt his jaw drop open. He couldn't believe it!

"You scared the hell out of me, Jen! Is that all?"

Jenny nodded and flailed her hands, letting her computer hand on its cord about her neck. "Honestly. Technology. It's crap dese days, in'it?"

Tyson rolled his eyes. Talk about light relief. He couldn't resist a smile at the angry girl, who looked as though she could quite easily throw the faithful laptop onto the scrap heap.

"Jen, we'll be fine without."

She stopped growling and flailing her hands and looked at him.

"Yer, I s'pose ye' right. I mean, I saw tha' we need te' go left, but that's abou' it."

"Well, we'll go left," Tyson reassured, hoping that he was calming the irate girl, "and we'll see where it takes us!"

With a sigh, Jenny nodded. That was the best plan. It was only a mile anyway. They'd be fine. She moved over to where Kai still lay still. Ever since falling through the air, Kai had been out cold. Jenny supposed that things had just gotten too much for him – which was understandable. It would be unfair to say that he hadn't taken more of a punishment than anybody else. Jenny felt a sudden wash of admiration for her Captain. He had done a fantastic job and he probably didn't even realise it. That was typical Kai. All he'd do, she was guessing, was mull over who had been lost during this war and not give himself any credit for successfully commanding one of the most dangerous missions in military history. 

_"Don't fink anyone else could' of got us through sumfin like this."_ She thought generously as she knelt down by the boy. Although battered and bruised, with unsteady breathing and blood trickling from numerous places, Kai looked as though he were at peace. And Jenny was at peace too, because she knew that they would be home soon. Kai would be able to get some help and she . .. . well, she could get a bacon sandwich with heapings of brown sauce all over. And a nice long sleep. And she could recharge her laptop!

"Kai," she said gingerly, as she shook his shoulder, "Kai?"

A groan crossed his features, but Kai opened his eyes wearily, the enigmatic brown of them glittering in a frighteningly similar way to those of the Dranzer minutes before. Dull, drained – yet sharp, shrewd, and passionate. 

"We've got abou' a mile te' walk, Kai. Soz."

Tyson knelt beside Jenny and smiled at Kai.

"You okay, buddy?"

Kai gave a weak nod, his messy grey bangs falling into his gaze. Tyson looked at Jenny. 

"I can't see him making that walk."

Jenny shrugged. "I don't fink we could carry 'im a mile! We're tired too, Tys, if yer 'adn't noticed!"

Tyson nodded, unfortunately agreeing. He knew he couldn't carry Kai all that way, not even sharing the load with another. But he sincerely doubted that his Captain could walk all that way. It was too big a challenge, even for him. 

"I . . . I can walk . . . " Kai said very quietly, more to himself than anybody else, and he began to raise himself on his shaky arms. Blood trickled down the pale skin and Tyson winced. 

"No, Kai, stop. We'll figure something out. You can't walk like that."

Kai completely ignored him and continued to force himself up. He could feel the presence of his Dranzer, although it was dormant within its chamber now, and felt much comforted and slightly invigorated by it. He got to his knees and then stood up fully, his legs dizzy beneath him and unsteady. He swayed on his feet for a moment, and then that determined Captain he had almost forgotten returned, and he straightened up.

"Which . . . which way?"

Tyson and Jenny watched through cautious eyes. "Um . . . west."

Kai nodded and steadied himself once again. He did not protest when Tyson slipped Kai's own arm around his own more steady shoulder and gave him support. To be truthful, he was grateful. Kai knew he wouldn't be able to manage such a walk alone. Tyson smiled at him.

"You're doin' great, Kai."

Kai didn't bother responding. He needed all the energy he could get for this next challenge. He hoped desperately that he was up for this.

******************************************************************************************************************************

Lee sat in comfort, a cosy fire crackling not too far away. His army uniform was surprisingly comfortable, and Lieutenant Hing had allowed him to unlace his boots and relax for an hour. So lee had taken up a book he had been reading and sat, with his feet up on the table, his white socks getting gradually warmer in the glow of the flames nearby. The hut he was in consisted of one room. It was about six metres in length and width, and he had to share it with Hing.

Fun.

Hing sat opposite Lee, his back straight, watching the door resolutely, on the look out for both an attack and the return of Sui Generis. 

"Wonder how Rei's doin'?" Lee said aloud, breaking the rather uncomfortable silence in the room. Hing didn't answer. He was sore that Rei had been chosen for the mission and not he. Still, he didn't hate the lad for it. Just loathed him a little bit is all.

Hing shifted, stretching his muscles. He had been watching that door for two hours that night. It was dark outside. He couldn't see a thing. Why was he bothering?

He leaped up at a pounding on the door. Lee dropped his book and jumped out of his seat. Hing, quick to panic, hissed at Lee.

"What if it's BIOVOLT?"

Lee frowned, and his amber eyes flitted from side to side as he thought quickly. 

"I'll open the door," he said in a loud whisper, "and we'll wait and see who it is. That's all I can think of!"

Hing nodded. It seemed the only sensible thing to do. He found himself heartily wishing they'd devised a password for Sui Generis earlier. He moved to the door, along with Lee, and the two stood either side of it, both gazes intent on the light wooden framework. 

"Ready?" hissed Hing. Lee nodded, and reached for the doorknob. He pulled open the door, as it was the type that swung inwards, not outwards, and braced himself. 

There were three people at the door, and Lee gasped as they fell into the room, all three of them freezing cold, their faces pale yet cheeks cruelly flushed in the cold temperature, their eyes barely open. Lee caught Jenny (after all, he was a gentleman) before she hit the floor, but Hing didn't move to catch Tyson and Kai and they hit the deck, their eyes closed. Lee looked down at Jenny, who grinned up at him dizzily.

"S'quite nippy out there, mate . . ." she said, her voice trembling and weak, before she passed out in his arms. Lee looked from her dirty, pale face to the two shivering forms on the floor, and ran his eyes along Tyson's dirty, slightly burnt clothing, and then along Kai's broken form, the blood along his skin dried in the wind and blackening with each passing moment. 

He glanced at Hing, who kicked the door shut. 

"Is that it?"

Catch me as I fall.

Say you're here and it's all over now.  
Speaking to the atmosphere;

No one's here and I fall into myself.

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Sherbet Mayhem: DON'T WORRY! There's still one more chapter left. How did you guys like that one? Again, I'm not sure about it! I need you guys to tell me what's going on. BUT PITY ME! It's 01:59 am AND I have a really sore throat – possible because I just got back from a concert and didn't stop screaming all night . . . but still, PITY ME! ! ! Lol. 

Hope you lovely readers liked that chapter. The lyrics at the end were "Whisper" by Evanescence *waves flag in crazy fan-girlish love of Evanescence*Tell me of any improvements you'd make and stuff. But right now I really have to go to bed. Part of me is sooooooo glad that this story is almost finished because it's hard work, but the other part is really sad because I do love writing this story. Of course, there are more planned for the future. I also think I'll stick to the violence – I seem to be best at that. Romance ain't really my thang, baby, yeah. Lol.

C ya soon, guys, and review! PLEASE! Thanks again for reading, and I'll see ya in about two weeks time with the next – and final – chapter!

God bless x x x

Sherby o_0 


	13. Petals

Hmm, there's a lotta stuff to tie together in this chapter! Plus, I gotta do the reader thanks thing. I have something like 136 reviews so far. That's a lot of thanks. Ah well. I'll do that at the end!

Ahem. Let's see. Anything else I need to mention before I get on with this? Hmm *attempts to engage non existent brain* Let's see here . . . no, no, I think we're all right. I think this can be like my shortest disclaimer ever, and I'll let you read on. Enjoy it! J 

It's . . . 21:15 pm. That's not good. And JUST so you know how much I love you . . . I have been so ill today that all I wanted to do was come home and sleep. I spent half of my lessons hiding out in the school toilets and wondering whether I was gonna die (okay, so I'm melodramatic, sue me). But, ya know, this story is important, so ON WITH THE SHOW!!!

Sherby o.0

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Chapter thirteen: Petals

Black hair falling into his eyes, his face turned upwards and pale in the frosted moonlight, Lee glanced up to the stars. Tonight they were diminished, as a gentle frost had settled about the mountain top, and so the stars appeared to be faded flecks of paint, water washed grey upon a velvet canvas. 

He sighed, and leaned back a little further into a patch of iced grass. It was crisp and sharp against his back but he cared not. A few metres away were the camp tents, most of them pitch black but a few with their tiny lights glowing, casting shadows, flitting against the material walls. A little farther away, the lights of the medical ward glimmered weakly. Lee had spent a lot of his time in there recently, merely making himself available for the nurses and running errands, as well as giving support and visiting those who could see him. 

It had been two days since the door in the cold Russian hut had been wrenched open and the remnants of Sui Generis had collapsed into the interior warmth. Lee, trained to fly the Chinook copter, had quickly run outside and started it up, after seeing the state of his friends and colleagues. The journey had been a stressful one, moving too slowly for Lee, who was desperate to get his friends back to Japan and treat them. He was terrified that they were going to die – much more so than Hing. Seeing the small amount of survivors made him adamant that no more should die from Sui Generis, and so he was constantly checking his wristwatch and asking how far they had left on the journey back. 

They had arrived at about two in the morning; the helicopter's return stirring up sparks of interest and enthusiasm within the camp. Lee and Hing had done their best to keep onlookers away as they moved Kai, Jenny and Tyson into the medical ward as discreetly as possible. Still gnawing at his gut, constantly, never ceasing, was that one question Lee feared yet longed to ask. Had Sui Generis succeeded?

The three worn out warriors had been rushed away and all Lee could do was watch and trust that the medics would do their best. Facilities weren't fantastic, but Lee constantly focused on how good the doctors were and how reliable they had to be. 

The hours had been long for him. He was in such a difficult position. He wanted answers – so many answers. There were a thousand questions screaming to be replied to and yet all he could do was push them out of the way until later. He had more important things to deal with. 

On the next night, Jenny and Tyson had pretty much awoken within two hours of each other, and, since their rooms were close (although, all the rooms in this tiny building were relatively near to each other) Lee found he could flit in between the rooms and talk to each of them. Tyson had suffered a broken arm and a couple of fractures in one of his legs, and a mild concussion (he wasn't sure how he got this). He seemed wide awake enough, though it was obvious he was going to need a lot more rest before he returned to his normal self. His face was pale and thin, and even without asking Lee could see that Sui Generis had been a painful experience for all involved. 

Jenny had been quite perky, as usual. Her sleep seemed to have revitalised her much more than Tyson's had, and she looked quite healthy. She had a few minor cuts and scrapes, as well as three broken fingers and a broken little toe (again, she was unsure how she had acquired these injuries, although she did remember Voltaire standing on her foot one time when she hit him over the head with her computer . . . ). The moment she woke up she requested, rather groggily, a bacon sandwich lathered with brown sauce ("An' if it's not 'HP', then don' even bovva! It jus' in't werf it wivowt 'HP'!")

Lee had chatted to each of them for as long as he was permitted to. He had avoided asking pertinent questions about Sui Generis, because he was certain that they wouldn't want to talk about it. However, they had seemed more than happy to divulge, and they had related each of the different events to Lee as well as they could without upsetting him too much. Tyson had stepped very lightly across the subject of Rei's death, as he knew this would tear Lee up inside. Jenny had avoided the subject of those who died and had merely told of the successes, of the brilliant scheme to swim up through the vents, and the even more brilliant scheme of flooding the turbine room to get to the escape vent. She seemed to care more about getting her computer recharged than relating the tale to its fullest. 

Lee, upon hearing that Rei was dead, excused himself from the room. He had suspected it, but something within him had kept hope alive, telling him that Rei would come home, just a little later than everyone else. That maybe Rei was waiting outside, that cheery grin on his face, just waiting to be let in or picked up or . . . or something. Hearing the painful way in which his friend had passed had caused him more pain than he had ever imagined it would, and he moved into the corridor outside to take a break. The deaths of the others had saddened him greatly, and there was no doubt about that, but having his old friend ripped away from him like that felt like he was losing a part of himself. It sounded clichéd, but memories of their childhood kept on flashing up, like a black and white movie within his very head, and he hadn't been able to shake away those tears gathering within his eyes. 

He had also spent a lot of time in Kai's room. Somehow it made him feel better, knowing that someone else who was a very close friend of Rei's was going through the same pain as he himself was. He had sat for at least three hours beside Kai's bedside, just watching the sleeper's chest rising and falling slowly underneath the thin white blanket he had been given. Lee had expected that Kai wouldn't wake up for some time. The boy had been completely drained of any energy within himself. The doctors had found large, unstable traces of carbon within his blood, which were the cause of the poisoning Tyson had described to Lee. Wounds had covered his entire body, cruel whip inflictions or gashes from some instruments that the doctors had not been able to identify. These had required stitching and treatment. He had suffered severe concussion and dehydration and his legs had required treatment yet again due to the strain put upon them by the mission to Russia. Lee had sat there faithfully, feeling that Rei would have done the same, and sometimes watching the water running down the tubes leading into Kai's arms and shivering, somehow reminded of Rei's untimely death. It haunted him – as he suspected it always would. He was just thankful he had not been there to see it. 

Now, as Lee looked up to the stars, and wondered how they had suddenly faded and become so pale, he felt another sudden pang of loss. How could something so bright and vibrant just be ripped out like that? Would that ever happen to a star? Was it fair to just tear it out of the sky while it was burning its brightest? Was there any justice in that?

A movement behind Lee caused him to blink rapidly, hiding those glimmering tears that he felt had gathered far too many times in the past few days. He turned his head, his amber eyes glinting in the frost, to find himself looking at Tyson, standing a few feet away, and smiling. 

"Hey Lee."

Lee sat up straight, his hair falling out of his eyes. "Tyson, you shouldn't be out here! It's way too cold for you."

With another smile, more boyish this time, Tyson took a seat beside Lee on the jagged icicles of grass. 

"I'm okay, Lee. Why are you out here?"

Now it was Lee's turn to smile, and he looked back up at the sky. "Just thinkin'."

There was a silence, and they just sat there for a moment, listening to the ragged breathing of the wind as it bristled through the grass and ruffled their hair. Lee glanced over at Tyson. His light blue sweater oscillated in the breeze, as did his white trousers. He was looking a lot better already, noticed Lee. That youthful shine had reappeared within Tyson's appearance – but there was something else, that had not been there too. And that was wisdom. Wisdom of the world, wisdom of the nature of the human being – there was this strange air about Tyson now that he'd been there and done that. In a sense, Tyson too, just like Max, had lost his innocence – but in the context that Tyson had been openly shown how cruel the human could be. How evil the mind could be. 

Yet he did not appear discouraged or resentful. In fact, Lee noticed that Tyson looked strangely calm, almost contented, as he sat there, gazing up at the stars, his bangs blowing gently in the breeze. He looked adult, mature. He had grown.

"It's not all bad, you know, Lee."

Lee started, and found that Tyson was looking directly at him. He frowned, and the wind blew again. 

"What d'you mean?"

"Well, I know you think we're all changed for the worst. And I know you're cut up about the loss of Rei, as well as the others."

Lee looked down at his fingers, which were embedded in the glinting silver green grass. He spoke after a short pause, his voice quiet.

"You're right. But, Tyson, how can it be good? Look at us. So many of us have died risking our lives for this stupid, worthless war. And war changes people. Just look at Max. And even yourself – you can't deny that you've changed, Tyson. As for the loss of Rei . . . well, that's something I'll never be able to get over. He was . . . a brother to me."

Tyson nodded understandingly, and Lee, a little unsure of himself, went on. 

"You know, I never imagined this would happen. I never would have let him go on that dumb mission if I'd known . . . you have no idea, Tyson, how much it hurts to look in the mirror in the morning and see your friend's eyes looking right back at you. It's just that . . . "

Lee stopped short, his voice cracking, and Tyson waited for a moment, the wind brushing about them gently, whispering voices in the night. The night seemed to get a little darker, and, upon looking up at the heavens, Tyson smiled. 

"I don't deny that I've changed, Lee. I've changed a lot. Would the Tyson of the Blade-Breakers ever sit here and have a sensible conversation with you? But, the thing is . . . I've changed in different ways. Sure, I've seen how cruel things are, and how cruddy life can be. Haven't we all? The point is . . . well, this whole Sui Generis thing has shown to me the quality of the people around me. And they are of the highest quality. This war may have shown me the bad in people, Lee – but it's also shown me the good. I had no idea that humans could be so brave or strong. Look at all the people who went. They all risked their lives, some of them giving them! Don't you see how outstanding that is? Take Mark. He was so young, and he was try'na impress us so bad – and he just had his life taken, just like that. Yet he was prepared to do that. Look at Max . . . poor Max was happy to die for his cause once he'd been redeemed. Look at . . . look at Dave. He was so strong, and he never gave up fighting. And Rei . . . Lee, you should have seen him. You should have seen him in action. He knew what he was doing, he knew what was at stake. He knew he was risking it every second. But he still carried on until . . . until he couldn't. D'you see?"

Lee was silent, his heart pounding and his eyes glazed and shining. He'd never thought about it like that. 

"And," continued Tyson; trying his best to help his friend out of this dark hole he had become trapped in, "Look at the survivors. Jenny. You know, she was so bright and as cheerful as she could be all the way through this, just because she knew it would give people something to feed on, something to live on, to keep them going. And . . . well, what can I say about Kai? I had no idea that he could . . . I . . . I dunno. After all that they did to him, he still wouldn't give in, no matter what . . . even when he couldn't go any further he carried on somehow. I don't understand it. I don't get how a person can reach inside and pull out their spirit like that, and force themselves to carry on, even when the odds are so slim that it's likely you're gonna die. But he did, as did everyone else. I think, Lee, that when you look in the mirror, and see Rei's eyes in your own, you should be proud. Be proud to have a part of somebody as brave as Rei was. He wouldn't want you to be sad. That's what I think, anyway."

Lee watched the boy's face intently, taking in every feature, his ears absorbing every raise and flat of his voice, every word he said. Tyson was completely right. Lee couldn't believe how the lad had grown so much in the space of two days. It was remarkable. 

Lee was about to comment on what Tyson had so sagely said, when the gentle hush of the wind was interrupted by a large, growling sound. Lee's eyes widened and he glanced down at Tyson's stomach. 

"Was that _you_?"

Tyson grinned and patted his stomach. "Not everything's changed, Lee."

Lee laughed, and ran a hand through his hair. His head raised to the sky again, and his eyes, sparking in the silver light, lit up when he saw that the mist that had shrouded the stars had cleared with the wind, and now they were burning brightly within the darkness. 

Beside him, Tyson moved to his feet. He swayed for a moment as he gained his bearings, and then held out a hand to Lee. 

"By the way, I came out to tell you that Kai woke up about half an hour ago."

Lee sprang to his feet with Tyson's assistance. He felt as though he were being pulled out of the light and into the dawn. "You serious?"

Tyson nodded with a kind of tired smile. "Yup. If we're quick, we'll catch him before he has to sleep again."

Lee beamed at him. "What are we waiting for?"

******************************************************************************************************************************

Kai smiled as Lee and Tyson entered the room. It was the same room that he had been in last time, with its shiny white tiles and dull painted walls. This time the window was shut as to keep out the cold winter weather. He could see that it was dark outside. 

Jenny was already there with him, and he had been talking with her for some time now. The smell of bacon filled the room, and Kai had politely declined when Jenny had offered him a bite of her thick sandwich. He wrinkled his nose whenever he smelled the fruity scent of brown sauce on the air. Still, it made a nice change to the smells he had become accustomed to in the past few days. 

Lee and Tyson popped their heads around the door, and then came in. Lee looked elated, and Kai was glad to see him smiling. He knew that someone would have told him the news, and was partially glad he hadn't had to do it himself. Tyson had been the first thing Kai had seen when he had awoken, as the boy had been tirelessly watching his bedside that night. 

He felt a lot better in himself. He didn't know what the doctors had done to remove the carbon from his bloodstream, but he was certainly glad they had done so. He had feared suffering from more hallucinations. He was on a lot of medication, and so he couldn't really feel a lot of pain in his body – although one particular wound across his chest was still stinging inexplicably. The comforting presence of his Dranzer blade on the nearby dresser had relieved him, and he felt its relaxing warmth all around him as it, too, recovered. 

"Kai, it's good to see you awake," commented Lee with a grin as his amber eyes met Kai's own brown ones. Kai nodded. 

"S'good to be awake. How are you, Lee?"

Lee gave a little shrug. "Surviving. You?"

"Uh-huh."

Jenny rolled her eyes. This clipped conversation, although normal between these two, made her feel uncomfortable. She knew what to do.

"Lee, wan' some o' me butty?"

She jumped up out of the chair she had been resting in and thrust the dripping sandwich under Lee's sensitive nose. He recoiled a little, wincing. 

"Ai, no thank you!"

Again, Jenny rolled her eyes, and sat back down. "Fine," she said, in between mouthfuls of sandwich, "Burr' if ye' get 'ungry later, don't . . . blame . . . me."

Lee snorted. "I'll do my best."

Tyson pulled over a chair. It scraped along the floor a little, and he shook his head at it before sitting down.

"So, guys. Apart from Lee here, we're on leave. We've had it tough, and so we get to go home now. What are you guys planning on doing?"

Lee tutted. "Lucky me. Still get to fight. Yay."

Kai smiled. "Could be worse. You could be . . . I don't know . . . the guy who washes the lettuce on a sandwich production line."

All three looked at him blankly. He glanced at them before proclaiming his innocence. "It's her! Her and her stupid sandwich!" He nodded over at Jenny, who seemed to have pulled a new plate of sandwiches from absolutely nowhere and was munching happily. Her eyes darted left and right and then she spoke, gulping down a mouthful of bacon. 

"'Kay. When I go back 'ome . . . I'm gonna . . . well, b'fore I came 'ere, I 'ad a job in a newsagents. I'll go back dere, an' go back te' college. An' ge' filfy rich an' buy loads'a cars an' 'ouses an' invite ye' 'round fer English tea, coz everyone else in th' world seems te' fink we gavver at free in time fer tea. I don' even like tea!"

Tyson laughed. "True. Me, I'm gonna go home, and train some more with my grandpa. It's weird how I've missed the old weirdo. I guess I might go back to school . . . I don't know if I could, you know? It's gonna be so strange going back to the normal life."

"Define 'normal', Tyson."

Tyson paused at Kai's interruption, and allowed Kai to carry on.

"I always thought that after this stupid war I'd go home and get a job as a translator. It seemed kind of normal. I wanted to get out of this kind of life that I live, where everything is eccentric and out of the ordinary. I wanted to just be run of the mill. And I was discussing this one time, with . . . with a friend of mine. And he asked me to define 'normal'."

"What did you say?" asked Lee inquisitively, leaning forward from his stance against the wall in interest.

"I couldn't do it."

Jenny looked puzzled. "Wha' d'ye' mean?"

Kai elaborated. "It's just that . . . you can't define 'normal', Tyson. It's too difficult. You can possibly define what regular every day society would expect, but, I guess, nobody is ever normal. Life's one big roller coaster ride. I've got what I've got because I've lived my life. Why should I change it? I'm starting to think that maybe I don't wanna be normal. Maybe I just wanna take things as they come. You can _never have_ a normal life. So why bother trying?"

Tyson nodded, feeling that their conversation was a particularly intelligent one, and pleased with himself for being able to follow it. "You're right. So what will you do when you go home, Kai?"

Kai opened his mouth to answer, and then stopped. "I . . . I don't know."

******************************************************************************************************************************

Three days later, it was decided that a short memorial service should be held in honour of those who had given their lives in the completion of Sui Generis. It was a difficult procedure for all involved. It was held on a sunny morning, on the edge of one of the cliff tops of the rocky mountain. 

It had been snowing the night before quite heavily, and so the sunlight glinted with a shimmering iridescence upon the frosted rocks. The white dazzled beautifully in the phosphorescence, and the air was still and calm, as though all were coming to an end and even it could not continue to move and be restless. 

At the peak of one of the cliffs, a small lectern had been set up. It was mahogany brown in colour and stood out vibrantly against the glaze of the snow. The sky was a beautiful haze of reds and pale blues, as the sun had been reluctant to emerge from its slumber due to the snow.

The service began at ten. Seats had been arranged; those hard backed, wooden and uncomfortable chairs, the ones that nobody likes to sit in and yet would gladly exchange for a chair with a cushioned back to lean on. People began to file in from about half past nine, each and every soldier in this squadron of the Chinese army wishing to say goodbye properly to their friends and allies. 

Meanwhile, things were on the move down in Tokyo. While Sui Generis had been taking place, the Chinese had finally shipped their forces to Tokyo, knowing that their only chance of winning this war was now to take on the BIOVOLT soldiers directly and cling on to any hope remaining. This had happened almost a week ago now. 

The fighting had been rough and messy. Wave after wave of Chinese men had been sent in to attempt to surround Tokyo, to clear out those in BIOVOLT who had taken it over so ruthlessly. These swells of men had merely been mown down, and thousands had been obliterated in the first couple of hours. Tokyo had been a mess of dead bodies and scattered corpses. All was red in the scarlet hue of spilled blood. 

This had carried on for a couple of days. Nothing more could be done. The forces up in the mountains could only stand by and watch as their allies were cut down brutally as they fought for justice. 

Then, as though suddenly the tide had changed with the sway of the moon, the Chinese generals received notice that they were about to be relieved. The British were on their way. In about seven or eight hours, the British men would be dropped in on the borders of Tokyo. Although this had not worked last time, BIOVOLT were now distracted. They would not be able to deal with wave upon wave of Chinese attacks as well as the British dropping in their Storm Troops. 

The flow of fortunes rearranged, and pretty soon, the Chinese, combined in their powers with the British, were beginning to push the BIOVOLT soldiers in Tokyo back, and were heading for the city centre. And it was then that Hing – of all men, Lieutenant Hing – came up with a plan. He quickly radioed the Chinese forces in Tokyo and explained what to do. 

Members of BIOVOLT in Tokyo had been pleasantly surprised when they had suddenly found the ability to fight back again the Chinese and British coming in from the western front. They had been able to push them out and regain lost ground for themselves. The British and Chinese seemed, all of a sudden, weaker, smaller, and unable to stand their ground. BIOVOLT sent more of their men to mow down the abruptly weaker allied forces. All of BIOVOLT's men were fighting pitilessly on the western front.

Hence BIOVOLT were taken by complete surprise when a huge squad of Chinese and British forces swept in from the east, throwing them completely off guard. The forces had split into two. The smaller force, remaining on the west, had been told to fight weakly, to retreat slowly, and to lure BIOVOLT into a sense of security. Meanwhile, the other, stronger percentage of the allied soldiers swept in to the east of Tokyo and came up behind the BIOVOLT mercenaries. BIOVOLT had been powerless. Their leaders tried to call for help and back up but their radios were down, and there was no response from the main HQ in Russia. They couldn't even use their high tech tanks or equipment, simply because the machinery, the mainframe, had somehow been taken out. Their communications were ended. The Tokyo invasion was overthrown. The Chinese and British controlled the city for now. 

Hing had been elated when he heard of his plan's success. So many men had been lost, but now things were brightening up, and his men were motivated once more. They suddenly had more reason, more drive, to fight, now that their chances of succeeding were greatly enlarged. 

He kept the news quiet for a while, but, on the night before the ceremony, had informed the camp of the brilliant achievement down in Tokyo. Of course, the war was not over, not by a long shot. BIOVOLT forces in Japan still had to be removed, and that was going to be just as difficult. But it could be done. 

The men in the forces on the mountain, therefore, were in higher spirits for the ceremony, and now they could properly focus on the importance of Sui Generis. It seemed now that their men had given their lives for a purpose now, rather than simply throwing away their lives in a pointless (yet certainly still admirable) sacrifice. So, as the seats filled, the time ticking by gently, there was a general feeling of admiration and awe for the lost warriors of Sui Generis. 

Tyson took a seat at the back. He was wrapped up warmly, knowing that despite the warm sun the air would still be cold. His arm was carefully wrapped in a sling, his ribs bandaged tightly. Energy seemed to have returned to him in his few days' rest and he felt that he was finally strong enough to say a proper goodbye to his friends. Jenny sat beside him, munching quietly on a bacon sandwich and looking very solemn. People kept on passing glances over to them, whispering and chattering in hushed voices. Tyson wasn't sure what they were whispering about, but he was sure it couldn't be bad. 

At about five minutes to ten, Lee slipped into a seat next to Jenny, once again wrinkling his nose at the scent of brown sauce that now constantly lingered around her. 

_"I guess she deserves it,"_ he thought dubiously, _"but how can she actually eat so much brown sauce? I heard it rots your stomach out . . ."_

Still, he bore it well, and the three chatted quietly, and more and more people turned to look at them, some smiling and giving thumbs up. Tyson knew now that they were not spiteful whispers. Their allies were proud of what they had done. 

A minute or two later, the crowd seemed to hush, and Tyson supposed that the service was about to start. People in the seats were turning about and glancing behind him, and so Tyson turned too, awaiting the arrival of whoever was going to lead the service. He supposed some sort of vicar, or perhaps a general. 

He didn't expect to see Kai. 

He was on crutches, which glinted silver in the glare of the sunlight. He wore a black shirt and jacket and his khaki trousers, which Tyson had also worn, and so the bandages across his body were not visible except for at the neck of the shirt, where his collar hung open and tiny strips of white material could be seen. There was still visible a bandage about his head, but his silver-grey bangs fell over it and covered a good deal. His face, although still pale, was looking healthier by the minute, and Hing, who was watching his moves carefully, making sure he didn't slip, accompanied him. Tyson smiled. 

"Kai! I didn't expect you to be coming!"

Kai looked a little uncomfortable. Anyone who hadn't noticed his emergence from the medical ward had now been alerted of his presence by Tyson's yell. All eyes were upon him and it went disturbingly silent. His blush couldn't be seen because of the paleness of his face, and he made his way to where Tyson was seated. He nodded a greeting to Jenny and Lee, and then scowled at Tyson. 

"Thanks for the extra attention, Tyson."

Tyson laughed. "You're still the same old Kai. But I know you love it really!"

Kai sighed and slid into a seat as quickly as he could. He was well aware that people's eyes were still upon him, and despite the fact that he knew they were admiring glances, they still made him uncomfortable. He didn't like to be the focus of attention.

The crowd hushed again, and Tyson knew now for definite that the service was about to start. He settled himself gently, the sunlight splashing right down onto his shoulders yet not hindering his gaze for a moment. 

The speaker took the allocated place on the stand, and Tyson peered forwards with interest to find out who it was. From the green uniform it looked like it was some form of Chinese general, but Tyson, being new to the armed forces (well, relatively) could not recognise the face. However, beside him Lee leapt to his feet with a startling urgency. He yanked Tyson up by his good arm. 

"Tyson," he whispered viciously, "It's General Chung-Lao! Pay some respect!"

Tyson, still bemused, raised his good arm in a smart salute and stared in curiosity at the man. Jenny had risen but Kai hadn't moved, possibly because he didn't feel any respect for this guy, or possibly just because it cost him valuable energy. Still, the General didn't notice, and he addressed everyone in English – the commonly spoken language of the camp – to sit. 

Jenny took a look around as she wiped her mouth clean. The soldiers were enraptured and this guy hadn't even spoken yet! She didn't know who he was either, but obviously he was a very respected figure in the Chinese military. 

And then he spoke. Not just a simple command like a second ago, but he began to speak. His voice was instantly commanding; deep, and powerful, with a slight husk on the lower drawls. This was the voice of a man who demanded and deserved authority and Jenny sat up straighter unconsciously. 

"Today," began Chung-Lao, "is a day of both sadness and happiness. A day of both commiseration and celebration. A day of remembrance and goodbyes. This service is held in honour of all those who lost their lives in the operation Sui Generis, fighting for their country and for honesty. Today we say a sad farewell to Mark Lewis, David Bosier, Max Mizuhara, and Second Lieutenant Rei Kon."

His voice echoed regally throughout the dunes of snow surrounding them, and the soldiers were all silent with a sense of respect. Chung-Lao, standing at the brown lectern at the front, his grey-coloured bangs falling into his face, carried on after a couple of seconds' silence. 

"These four great soldiers died heroically, fighting for their cause. Now we honour that bravery; that valiant nature possessed by each one of them, as we say goodbye. Please, let us now take a minute's quiet, and remember the great deeds of these men. What they have helped China to accomplish over the past few days. Their courage deserves more than we can ever express, and their losses will be grievous to all who knew them."

Chung-Lao stopped again and bowed his head, closing his eyes and concentrating. The soldiers in the seats followed suit, and, as Tyson closed his eyes, he noticed that even Kai had his head bowed and his eyes firmly shut. 

The minute passed by peacefully, with no interruptions except that of the sudden breath of wind that trickled its way across the opalescent snow. When the minute ended, Chung-Lao raised his head and spoke clearly, his voice unmarred by the emotion that his aged face held. He appeared to be very much grieved indeed by the loss of these four soldiers. 

"As a final gesture of honour, please feel at liberty to take a handful of rose petals and scatter them." He bent down and brought up a bowl filled to the brim and overflowing with beautiful scarlet petals, freshly plucked. The wind blew through the scene, and a few of the petals slipped out of the white glass dish and danced along in the air before grazing the snow covered ground. 

Many of the soldiers stood, making their way in silence to the front and taking a small handful of rose petals, heart shaped memorials of respect. The majority simply laid them before the lectern, scattering them and saying their words of remembrance as the petals twirled through the air and floated to their rest in the pure white snow below them. A few moved further back and scattered them upon the clearer ground, so tiny patches of red could be seen amongst the bed of white. 

Tyson, his head still down, watched as Lee stood. Plucking up his courage, he followed, Jenny too joining the line. Tyson watched as Lee moved back towards the tent he, Tyson, Max and Rei had shared in the earlier days, not too long ago, and spoke softly to the petals before laying them gingerly on the ground. Jenny, similarly, placed hers outside the tent where Sui Generis had spent their last night together in Japan, where they had received their mail and fretted to themselves silently. 

Tyson didn't quite know what to do with his petals. He could feel the soft, smooth texture of the petal brushing against his skin, and moved his fingers over and over them, allowing their natural oil to pass onto his fingertips. He could smell them on his hands, their blood red hue slowly fading as he rubbed. Quickly, he moved back towards the tent that he had shared with Lee, Max and Rei, and moved to a different spot than that of Lee's roses, which were gently rolling over in the soft breeze. 

Tyson bent down, and began to gently bring up tiny pieces of snow, creating a small hole in the white, flawless blanket. When he was satisfied, he dropped each petal in, one by one, watching the cherry glimmer of each as it fluttered into the hole and rested in a nest of dazzling purity. A few tears fell from his eyes and glinted in the sunlight as he buried his goodbyes with the snow, using his hands to patch up the hole in the blanket he'd made. When he was done, he smoothed over the patch, and wiped his face. He then made his way back to the seating area, where most soldiers had sat back down again. 

He noticed with a frown that Kai hadn't moved. He was just sitting there, not really paying attention to what was happening, though occasionally lifting his gaze and watching from underneath his brow as people scattered their petals. His brown eyes were far and away, in that deep thought process that they sometimes slipped into. He didn't even notice Tyson sit down.

Some of the soldiers were talking now, and so Tyson felt it was okay to speak. 

"I feel a lot better now. Like I've said a proper goodbye. D'you, Kai?"

No response. Tyson opened his mouth to speak again, but was halted by Lee tugging on his sleeve. 

"Don't, Tyson. Not all people pay their respects in the same way."

Tyson nodded, understandingly, and turned to Lee and Jenny. Lee looked very sad, but the smile he offered to Tyson showed grim determination and pride in his friends' achievements. Jenny was openly crying – as were a couple of other soldiers – and had taken to comforting herself by laughing in between sniffs and telling herself she was silly to still be crying and that she should be happy now. Tyson placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. 

"I think you need a sandwich."

Jenny smiled, grateful, but then burst into more tears, glittering diamonds that rolled down her cheeks and dripped onto her hands. She was still smiling though, and although Tyson didn't think she was crying with pure happiness, he knew she was contented inside. She just had to let out a little grief. 

After another two or three minutes, when everyone had calmed down, Chung-Lau took to the lectern again, with a slight smile on his face. It was now about half past ten. 

"Thank you. I greatly admire the nearness and intimacy of this camp. It is wonderful that when one soldier dies, the others all grieve, and that when one soldier succeeds, all the others celebrate. Which is a point I am moving on to. 

I did not know all of those who died through Sui Generis very well, but I know enough of them, from various accounts, that all were happy, contented people. I understand that they would not want us to sit here and grieve for hours over them. Which is now why I propose that we, without forgetting the great sacrifice made by Rei, Dave, Max and Mark, raise our respects to those of Sui Generis who came through in the end. Who survived the ordeal. Who faced down the best that BIOVOLT could offer and came out alive. These soldiers have been through conditions of unbelievable danger and risk. They have put their lives on the line consistently to fight for a righteous cause, and have been through unimaginable scenes of horror, torture and grief. But, most of all, they succeeded. They finally brought BIOVOLT down. Without them, even the rejoining of Britain to this war would not have been enough to turn the tables. So let us show our appreciation to the members of Sui Generis who are still here to tell the tale, and to impress to you how deeply grateful we are, we are presenting each of you with a medal for outstanding valour in the field of great danger. Please, come to the lectern, Jennifer O'Hare."

There was a stunned silence, and then a sudden ringing of applause and encouraging cheering. Tyson and Lee glanced at Jenny, who was bright red in the face, possibly from crying, possibly from embarrassment. She offered half a smile as she got unsteadily to her feet and slipped out of the row of seats to make her way to the front of the assemblage. Her heart pounding, all she could do was try and remember what she had learned at school when going up on stage to receive presentational awards. 

_"Shake wiv ye' righ', take wiv ye' left . . . or issi' de' ova way 'round? Ah crap, I'm gonna ge' dis wrong. Whar'if I fall over? Whar'if me hand's all sweaty? Whar'if . . ."_

She found herself, her heart thumping even stringer now, looking up into General Chung-Lao's face. She gave him a nervous smile, and he laughed good naturedly. 

"Here you go, my dear. We are all indebted to you."

She held out her left hand to take the medal and held out her right to shake, but Chung-Lao did not take either. Instead, he raised the golden medal by its ribbon and draped it over her hand. 

_"Crap, I knew I'd do sumfin fick!"_

"I present to you," he continued as she raised her head again, "the Great British Distinguished Conduct medal, for bravery in the field. Congratulations."

More applause. Jenny blushed. She'd always hated things like this. Certainly she was proud of herself and her friends but was this _terribly_ necessary? With another smile, she returned to her seat swiftly, shaking her head and smiling as she often did when embarrassed. 

"Please could Tyson Kinomya come up to the lectern."

Tyson was more eager than Jenny had been. He stood enthusiastically and gave a slight wave as he got to the lectern. He was blushing but he didn't care, as he stepped up to face Chung-Lao. He wasn't such a tall guy. He was older than Tyson had expected too. About fifty. The old man had a warm, friendly glint in his eyes as he took out Tyson's medal. 

"I issue to you, Tyson, the Japanese Order of the Golden Kite, for bravery in the field. Congratulations."

Tyson allowed Chung-Lao to slip the ribbon, a lovely shade of purple in colour, about his neck and he fingered the medal gently. He silently dedicated his medal to all of his lost friends, not forgetting why he was here. The wind blew through his hair and he smiled as the cheering intensified and the clapping resounded throughout the assembly. He returned to his seat red in the face but extremely proud of himself. He couldn't wait to show his grandfather this. 

Chung-Lao continued, watching Tyson with a few quiet chuckles. "Finally, I present this medal to Captain Kai Hiwatari, leader of the last standing squadron in the Japanese army. Kai," he looked over at the boy, who was watching everything through a partition in his hair, "I think I'll come to you."

The General stepped down from the stand behind the lectern, carrying the glinting medal in his hands, and made his way over to where Kai was seated, his boots crunching in the crisp snow. He stopped about a metre away from Kai. 

Kai grabbed a crutch and got to his feet with some difficulty. The onlookers had gone silent, mostly because of the massive gesture the General had just made by stepping down to go to Kai, rather than Kai getting up to go to him. It was unreal. A general showing that sort of respect to a captain?

When Kai was up, he looked directly at the General, who stood about three centimetres higher than him, and his brown eyes looked away for a second. He didn't quite know how to deal with something like this. 

"Kai Hiwatari," the General spoke proudly, smiling, "I award you the Japanese medal for Personal Valour, issued for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty. Congratulations."

Kai's face was a mix of astonishment and suffusion as the audience began to cheer wildly, some stamping their feet to show their appreciation of all this, and Kai bent his head to receive his medal. Once he lifted it again, he looked back at Chung-Lao, who gave him another smile and then saluted crisply. Kai returned the favour, still managing to perform a smart salute and not lose his balance. Chung-Lao chuckled and moved back up the lectern as Kai slipped back down into his seat. 

He examined his medal. It was beautiful – carved gold, the image of three soldiers crawling forwards and carrying something along the lines of a Banglore Torpedo on their backs. He was vaguely aware of Chung-Lao talking, saying something about refreshments in the tents, but he didn't listen. And only when the soldiers began to file out of their seats did he look up again. 

Chung-Lao had come over to talk to them. He was engaged in conversation with Tyson. 

"Tyson. It is a lot to ask, I know. But this war is not over yet. Not by a long way. We need you. We need your experience. Would you be prepared?"

Kai glanced over at Tyson, and then at Chung-Lao, realising abruptly what Tyson was being asked to do. 

"Of course," Chung-Lao carried on, "you wouldn't return to the front line for another month or so. You need tie to recover, and that we will give you. What do you say?"

Kai was surprised to see Tyson nodding. He spoke out. 

"Tyson, what are you doing?"

Tyson turned about, and smiled. "Think about it, Kai. Would you be able to manage going back home? Is that what you want? To be 'normal'? I belong here. Whether its fighting, giving support – I don't know. I couldn't just go back home and let other people fight this battle for me. Those of us who have been lost were in this till the bitter end – and so am I."

Kai stared. He'd never heard something so profound come from Tyson's lips. He'd never even dreamed it! Still, he smiled, impressed, his thoughts whirring. Tyson shoo hands with Chung-Lao. 

"You've got a deal."

Chung-Lao nodded, elated to know that he had a reliable, experienced soldier on his hands. For Tyson was just that now – reliable and experienced. He had come through this not just on the merit of other people. There was something within himself – that perhaps he did not see even if others did – that was valuable to the army. That was valuable to anyone. Tyson was dedicated, staunch, brave, loyal, and getting smarter by the day. He was willing and faithful and ready for anything. And he himself felt that he would fit in no better back home, or in any other place. 

Chung-Lao turned and stretched to walk back to the tens, when a voice stopped him.

"Then I'm coming too."

He paused and then spun around, his face looking surprised. "You, Kai?"

Now he had not expected that. Kai had been through a good chunk more than a lot of people had so far, and the General was expecting Kai to simply hate the idea of return. Certainly, he was necessary. Who in their right minds would reject such a character? But the General had believed it would be _impossible_ to convince Kai to return to battle.

"Why, Captain, may I ask?" smiled Chung-Lao. Kai shrugged. 

"Someone's gotta make sure this idiot doesn't get himself into trouble."

He nodded towards Tyson, his face still a blank, but Tyson knew better and burst into laughter. 

"I think this'll suit you fine, Kai," he said, running a hand through his hair and glancing at Jenny and Lee, who were also smiling. "This is the most 'normal' you're ever gonna get it."

"Are you sure, Kai?" asked the General, still a little taken aback. Kai affirmed this. 

"Tyson's right. I'd feel guilty if I just left without fighting it out to the end. This medal would be worth nothing to me that way."

Chung-Lao smiled one more time, bowed, and made his way along to the tents further back. Kai watched his for a second, contemplating what he had just done. Back to the war zone. Back to fighting again. Back to the risk, the thrill, the danger . . . 

Perfect. 

_Remember who you are.  
Be strong tonight - remember who you are.  
You're a soldier now - fighting in a battle,  
To be free once more...  
Yeah that's worth fighting for._

Kai couldn't help but think it. He was cut out for this sort of thing. Why else would he feel this way? Why go home and mope about, wondering what to do and constantly worrying about the war when he could be taking part himself? Making a difference. Finally doing some good in his life, finally getting the chance to be himself. And to finally take down BIOVOLT, once and for all, no questions. They would be eliminated. He wanted to a part of this ending. 

He found that Tyson was staring directly at him. "You okay?"

Kai blinked and then nodded, his face suddenly shining in the brilliance of the sunlight. "Yeah. I just gotta do something. Go on inside. I know you're hungry."

Tyson agreed a little reluctantly, and he moved away, leaving soft footprints in the snow as he walked across to the food tent, where most of the soldiers were cramming in and chattering away. Jenny and Hing followed, and, with one last glance at him, Lee followed them too. Kai was left alone. 

He grabbed his crutches and got to his feet, more determinedly this time. With his medal swinging about his neck, he made his way to the lectern, where just minutes ago Chung-Lao had been talking. The bowl of rose petals was still there, almost empty, but there were still a few left. Carefully, he grabbed a handful, and moved past the lectern to the edge of the cliff, making trails in the snow as he travelled. 

He stood still for a moment, fingering the rose petals, gazing out into the morning sky. The blue seemed to have taken over the red now, leaving a white washed cumulus sky, with the occasional red tinge fringing at the corner of the frame. The sunlight was immense and travelled down in rays, each glimmering and glinting against the snow. All around was snow, all across the mountain tops, scintillating and sparkling animatedly. The place was alive all around him. 

His eyes focused again now, the brown irises flitting about a little before they fell once again on his handful of memories, Kai suddenly opened his hand, releasing his grip on the petals. He stretched out his palm as carefully as he could, leaning on his crutches gingerly, and watched as the breath of the wind stole through the air and intertwined with his fingers, flowing in and out and stealing the rose petals from his possession. The air and the fragments of petal combined, and, incomprehensibly, the wind picked up, just for a few seconds, and the petals danced like smouldering fire in the air before him. He watched, fascinated, as the petals swayed and twirled, hopelessly caught in this spiral of the wind. And he realised that they were all just a little bit like those petals. They were caught in the flow of something bigger than themselves, bigger than time or space, something they couldn't stop or fight against, some powerful current and radiating force. The best thing to do was go with the flow. Let the wind carry its passengers gently along, tenderly touching their soft bodies as they rolled over and over together and combined into one flow of fiery red. 

The wind dropped, the point made, and Kai watched the petals slip vertically through the air, downwards, spinning and spiralling, travelling through tiny helixes as they dropped slowly out of his sight, carried away to a rest someplace distant. 

Kai just stood there and watched for a while, watched the space where the petals had spun, letting this feeling of catharsis linger on for a little while longer before it too fell away with the wind. It blew again, that gentle hush of a breeze running through his hair and cleansing him somehow, wrapping about his slowly recovering body and comforting it, enclosing it. And suddenly his mind flashed back, to a long, long time ago, so it seemed. 

_"What's the plan, Kai?"_

_"Stay alive."_

Kai smiled a little, both amused and intrigued. He had made this remark with some sarcasm and cynicism, but really, it had happened. They'd done it. That was the plan. No matter how you looked at, no matter how simple it seemed, that was it. Sure, you could sugar coat it, pass it off as something far more extravagant. But when it came down to it, all you could hope for when you were being carried away by that unpredictable wind was to stay alive. What more could be done?

He sighed, his breath mingling with the sweet hush of the airstream, and all was at peace, both within him and outside of him. He felt refreshed now. His shoulders were weightless again. He was once more, that unwavering, strong Captain Kai Hiwatari, and he turned away from the peaceful scene before him with a resolute smile, the wind still cascading about his shoulders, as he prepared to enter, once again, the world of war. 

******************************************************************************************************************************

Sherby: YYYYYYYEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I finished it! YAY! I feel so proud of myself!

Okay, so how did you like it? Was it an okay last chapter? I tried to make it as original as possible, but that is difficult. I tried. *shrugs* 

Anyhow, I have a HUGE list of people who I need to mention. I printed this off the internet in school, so let me just . . . find . . . it . . . hmm . . . got it. Okay. I can't address each of you personally, simply because some people left more than one review! So you get a mention, and that's the best I can offer, I'm afraid. My very special thanks go to the following loyal reviewers (in no particular order . . . ):

Saphie

Honest Abe (Abraham Lincoln)

AngelSportyChick

Janine

Mistress-Of-Eternal-Darkness

Jack Sparrow

Misao-Chan2

Oil Pastel

Scarlet Diamonds

Lunis

Hippy Chick Mel

Cherry Rain

Drifting Soul

The Otherworlder

Dark Akuryou

Zesha

Alklachion

Platinum Rei

Ebil-angels (Linz n dudems)

Bffimagine (dude, sure, I couldn't kill Kai. But let's think . . . how many other characters did I kill off?)

Susami Masaki

Mizuumi Hakuya

KeenaSky

Frostt

Artemis347

Othela

I LOVE KAI

Lady of Anime (Becca)

ANGEL-OF-DEATH6

Sobbing Psycho

I think Ray rules

Emerald

Anime the Fallen Angel

Okay, that's all of you guys. I'm not gonna give certain people who have reviewed more thanks than other people – that's just not fair. I think whoever has reviewed is fantastic because it makes an author feel so appreciated! So thank you very much everybody who has read and followed along with this story! It's really been great writing it and I've enjoyed every loooooonnnnng step of the way – even if I did stay up till ridiculous hours like 5 o clock in the morning on chapter 4. Yeesh. It's bin swell. I just wanna thank you guys for actually reading it, never mind reviewin it, because what's a text if there's no one to read it? J 

The lyrics were from "Sound the bugle now" by Bryan Adams – Lady of Anime suggested it a couple of chapters back and I decided, after downloading the lyrics (I've never heard this song in my life) to put it in the last chapter. J 

I'm sorry the update's a tad late (ahem) but I *have* been ill ya know. Don't blame me for my lousy immune system! Lol! Oh, the time, for those keeping tabs . . . is . . . 00:55 am. One in the morning. Joy. 

Well, please leave nice long reviews for me to read and enjoy! Thanks again for reading, everybody. Hope you've all enjoyed every minute of this ride (even *coughs* chapter 5 . . . ) and don't worry, I'll be back! 

Eventually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

C ya round, everyone, and God bless you all for reading! In fact, God bless you anyhow! We could all use some blessings!

Love n hugz and THANKS AGAIN!

Sherby o_0


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